Oryx (helicopter)
| Atlas Oryx | |
|---|---|
 Oryx M2 in civil coloring |
|
| Type: | Medium-weight transport helicopter |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| Number of pieces: |
50 |
The Oryx is a medium-duty transport helicopter based on the SA 330 Puma from the South African manufacturer Denel Aviation of South Africa.
As a further development of the SA 330 Puma, it is used by the armed forces of South Africa for various tasks:
- Transport tasks
- Passenger transport (max. 14 seats)
- Troop transport (16 soldiers on seats or 20 soldiers on the ground)
- Ship supply
- Transport of external loads (4500 kg)
- Search and Rescue / patient transport (6 stretchers)
- Fire fighting (2500 kg water bag)
Design features include external tanks built into the landing gear cladding for a maximum range of over 400 km, foldable rotor blades and connections for medical equipment. In addition to two large side doors, the Oryx also has a tailgate for long goods. The pilot's seats are armored to withstand fire from assault rifles. The two turbines also have special sand filters for use in Africa .
For rescue missions, the Oryx can be equipped with weather radar, a cable winch (max. 272 kg load), swim bladders and searchlights.
As an option, additional tanks can be set up in the hold, which increases the range to 2000 km.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| overall length | 18.74 m |
| Total height | 4.63 m |
| Overall width | 3.00 m |
| Rotor diameter | 15.60 m |
| Tail rotor diameter | 3,051 m |
| Hull length | 15.45 m (including tail rotor) |
| Center distance | 4.055 m |
| Track width | 3.00 m (rear wheels only) |
| Engines | 2, 1400 kW continuous output |
| Max. Takeoff mass | approx. 8000 kg |
| Top speed | 165 kn (305.58 km / h) |
| Cruising speed | 152 kn (281.504 km / h) |
| Rate of climb | 3000 ft / min (at 6000 kg) |
| Range with outside tanks | 415 km |
| Range with cargo hold tanks | 2000 km |