The Airbus Helicopters AS365 N Dauphin II is a twin-engined medium-weight transport helicopter powered by a pair of
737 hp Turbomeca Arriel 1C2 Turbine engines, accommodating up to 13 passengers and 2 crew. The twin-engine SA.365 was
developed in 1973 by SNIAS (Société Nationale Industrielle Aerospatiale) out of the single-engine SA.360 Dauphin.
The SNIAS SA.365 prototype F-WVKE, a SA.360 fitted with 2 Turbomeca Arriel 1A Turboshafts, flew first on 24 January 1975.
In 1977 production commenced with the SA.365-C, with deliveries starting in 1978. An improved version of the SA 365C Dauphin II,
the SA.365N flew first on 31 March 1979. The SA365 N differs from the SA365C in having Arriel 1C turbine engines, a
re-profiled fuselage, fully retractable undercarriage and increased fuel capacity in new under-floor tankage.
Deliveries of the production model began in 1982. Deliveries of the AS.365 N2, equipped with two Turboméca
Arriel 1C2 turboshafts, started in 1990. From 1984, SNIAS operated under the name of Aérospatiale.
The helicopter divisions of MBB from Germany and Aerospatiale from France merged in January 1992 to form the Eurocopter
Group. A new Eurocopter designation was added:
EC 155 B1, originally known as the AS 365 N4. The Dauphin II
is used in several military and civilian roles. The AS 565 Panther is the military version of the Dauphin. The AS 366 G1,
powered by two Textron-Lycoming LTS.101-750B-2 turboshafts, is used by the United States Coast Guard under the
designation HH-65A Dolphin. The Dauphin II is manufactured under licence in China as the Harbin Z-9 Haitung and in
Brasil as the Helibras MH-1. More then 1100 AS365/366/565 and EC155 versions have been produced.
The ICAO Aircraft Type Designator for the AS365 N helicopters is AS65.
As a result of the merger between the Eurocopter parents Aérospatiale-Matra; DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (DASA) and Construcciones
Aeronàuticas Sociedad Anonima (CASA) in July 2000, the Eurocopter group became a division of the new formed
EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space company). Taking off into 2014, EADS was rebranded as "Airbus Group". Uniting
all its activities under a single brand, its helicopter division Eurocopter was rebranded as Airbus Helicopters on 8 January 2014.
The Aérospatiale SA365 N Dauphin II s/n 6077 was test flown as F-WYME. On 31 January 1985, the 1984-built helicopter was
registered PH-SST in the Netherlands with Luchtvaartmaatschappij Schreiner Airways BV. On 14 July 1987, registration PH-SST
was cancelled and registered EC-EEP in Spain with Helicsa Helicópteros, S.A. which company leased the helicopter from Schreiner.
After the lease ended, the Dauphin II was returned to Schreiner Aiways and on 22 April 1988, restored to the Dutch register as
PH-SST with Luchtvaartmaatschappij Schreiner Airways BV. At the end of the 80's, the PH-SST was operated by Airspeed Rotterdam BV,
a joint venture of KLM and Schreiner Airways, with as main activity the delivery of Pilots on ships in the Roterdam-Rijnmond area.
On 20 July 1998, registration PH-SST was cancelled for the second time, and the Dauphin II was registered 8P-BHM in Barbados with
Bajan Helicopters Ltd. On 8 October 2001, the helicopter was restored as PH-SST with Luchtvaartmaatschappij Schreiner Airways BV.
On 4 January 2002, registration PH-SST was cancelled and on 11 September 2002, the helicopter was regsitered 5N-BDA in Nigeria
with Capital Aviation Services BV as owner and Aero Contractors Company of Nigeria as operator. On 14 September 2006, Dauphin II
5N-BDA arrived by road at Aberdeen Airport in the UK. On 13 November 2008, the Aérospatiale SA365 N Dauphin II was registered
N607AV in the USA with AVCorp US Registration Trustee, Wilmington, DE. On 7 October 2009, registration N607AV was cancelled as
exported to France, but the helicopter didn't enter the French register at all. Fate of the airframe is not known, but probably
is the aircraft scrapped for spares. On 6 July 1995, Aérospatiale AS365 N PH-SST was seen at Den Helder-De Kooy in service with Schreiner Airways.
Luchtvaart déjà vu
