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Aérospatiale Super Frelon
Type	Heavy military transport helicopter
Manufacturer	Aérospatiale
Maiden flight	7 December 1962
Introduced	1966
Status	Retired
Primary user	French military
Number built	99

The Aérospatiale Super Frelon is a heavy transport helicopter produced by Aérospatiale of France. The helicopter is still in use in China where the locally produced version is known as the Z-8. "Frelon" is a large European hornet in French.

Contents 1 Development 2 Variants 3 Operators 3.1 Military Operators 3.2 Civil operators 4 Specifications (Naval Super Frelon) 5 Related content 5.1 Comparable aircraft

Both civilian and military versions of the Super Frelon were built, with the military variants being the most numerous by far, entering service with the French military as well as being exported to Israel, South Africa, Libya, China and Iraq.

Three military variants were produced: military transport, anti-submarine and anti-ship.

The transport version is able to carry 38 equipped troops, or alternatively 15 stretchers for casualty evacuation tasks.

The Naval anti-submarine and anti-ship variants are usually equipped with a navigation and search radar (ORB-42), and a 50 metre rescue cable. They are most often fitted with a 20 mm cannon, counter-measures, night vision, a laser designator and a Personal Locator System. It can also be refueled in flight.

SA 3200 Frelon 

Prototype.

SA 321 

Pre-production aircraft. Four built.

SA 321G 

Anti-submarine warfare version for the French Navy.

SA 321Ga 

Utility and assault transport helicopter for the French Navy.

SA 321GM 

Export version for Libya, fitted with an Omera ORB-32WAS radar.

SA 321H 

Export version for Iraq.

SA 321F 

Commercial airline helicopter.

SA 321J 

Commercial transport helicopter.

SA 321Ja 

Improved version of the SA 321J.

SA 321K 

Export version for Israel.

SA 321L 

Export version for South Africa.

SA 321M 

Search and rescue, utility transport helicopter for Libya.

Changhe Z-8 

Chinese built version.

Changhe Z-8A; army transport

Changhe Z-8F

Chinese built version with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6B-67A turboshaft engines

 People's Republic of China

• People's Liberation Army Air Force operates Jingdezhen (Z-8) variant.

 France

• French Air Force
• Aviation Navale

 Iraq

 Israel

• Israeli Air Force

 Libya

 South Africa

• South African Air Force

 Zaire

 Greece

• Olympic Airways

General characteristics

• Crew: 5
• Capacity:
  
  • 27 passengers or
  • 15 stretchers
• Length: 23.03 m (75 ft 6.7 in)
• Rotor diameter: 18.90 m (62 ft)
• Height: 6.66 m (22 ft 2.1 in)
• Disc area: 1,122 m² (12,080 ft²)
• Empty weight: 6,863 kg (15,130 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 13,000 kg (28,660 lb)
• Powerplant: 3× Turboméca Turmo IIIC turboshafts, 1,171 kW (1,570 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 248 km/h (134 knots, 154 mph)
• Range: 1,000 km (540 nm, 620 mi)
  
• Endurance: 4 hr
• Service ceiling: m (ft)
• Rate of climb: 5 m/s (985 ft/min)

Armament

• Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) cannon
• Missiles:
  
  • 4× homing torpedoes in the ASW role or
  • 2× Exocet missiles in the anti-ship role

A Super Frelon taking off from the flying deck of the Clémenceau

A Super Frelon helicopter of the 35F wing of the French Navy

A Super Frelon helicopter of the 32F wing, landing on the Ouragan

A Super Frelon helicopter n°165 of the 32F Wing flying over Portsmouth

AgustaWestland EH101

Designation sequence

• Z-8 - Z-9 - WZ-10 - Z-11

• List of helicopters
• List of military transport aircraft

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