Phalsbourg 17-18 Sept 2011

[Eric van Lisdonk]

No problem Michiel and you also thanks for your reply.

Cheers,
Eric

[Michiel]

Eric,

Looking to your log I think you visit Phalsbourg also on Saterday the 17th?
I think two of the serials are incorrect! The 4148 and 3612 do not excist. These should be the 4140 and 3512

Michiel

[patrick dirksen]

And the same goes for 3862/GNE, this should read 3852. Thanks a lot for the list, filled some gaps for me!!
I can confirm 1232/DBA and 1277/DBE in the hangar next to the parking lot by the way, both were actually read off.

[marco70]

From the airshow side you could see 12 gazelles (instead of the 15 read in an earlier mail). Who knows the winning numbers. I have a picture of these 12 gazelles. At least two of them had covers on the cabin and the tailrotor)

[Michiel]

@Marco70

Sorry but all 15 Gazelle's were visible from static-side.

[marco70]

Then I'll have a very good look at the pictures I have taken

[leonard van T]

I just got these numbers from a photagrapher via FaceBook;

Gazelles on souith side
Reg c/n Code
1508 1508 GQW
3477 1477 GJB
3512 1512 GAC
3548 1548 GAE
3852 1852 GNE
4026 2026 GBA
4060 2060 GNQ
4140 2140 GBU
4177 2177 GKB
4181 2181 GCL
4210 2210 GEF
4218 2218 GEM
4224 2224 GES
4228 2228 GEW

so I think these 14 +3664/GAF
I also have GJR in my notebook but that could be a missread for GJB that was the one flying early

I will ask him about the i/a puma in the hangar and preserved Gazelle near the tower to.

leonard

[patrick dirksen]

Thanks for the list! Two questions: where does your 15th serial 3664/GAF come from? Eric and his team read off GBF as 15th (which would make it 4059) and were apparently very sure of this. And as far as I know for French Gazelles the serial is the same as the c/n, so why do you (or the photographer you got the info from) have a difference of 2000 for all 342s?

[Eric van Lisdonk]

Looks like he saw the GAE instead of GAF

[Wrecks]

The GAE was there as it was one of the flying Gazelle's.
While GAE (and GEF) were flying their was still one on the far side which code ended with an F.

Regards,

Otger

[leonard van T]

Thanks for the list! Two questions: where does your 15th serial 3664/GAF come from? Eric and his team read off GBF as 15th (which would make it 4059) and were apparently very sure of this. And as far as I know for French Gazelles the serial is the same as the c/n, so why do you (or the photographer you got the info from) have a difference of 2000 for all 342s?

The GAF.. thats a good question... Michiel and I read it off but next to it in my boekje is the GAE so it could be a mistake

About the C/N,s I dont know, I saw his pics on FB and it was clear that he had been on the south side. I asked and 2minuuts later I had this list.

groeten Leonard

[EvD]

Great work !

Some remarks:

* As far as I know the Gazelle c/ns are in the 1000-2200 range. The SA342M/L probably received serials starting with 3/4 to avoid confusion with the SA341F. They were partly being build during the same period. So 1544 is a SA341F serialled 1544, but 1546 a SA342M serialled 3546
* Many - all? - Pumas had a two digit code on the doors: DAL/35, DAQ/13, DCV/44, DCY/42, DDF/45 and DDW/14 were the ones I noted. Must be more visible on photographs?
* There was a question about a preserved Gazelle? I read 1180 on the plate of the one near the entrance to the hangar area.

Erwin

[leonard van T]

@Erwin

I checked the pics; DAA/31 is the only one I can read

There was also an Gazelle preserved/intructional near the control tower. Serial anyone?

Leonard

[patrick dirksen]

The two digit number on the doors of most Pumas is an internal squadron number, so I was told by a crew member. A few additions:
DCM/47
DBA/33
DBE/37
Regarding the Gazelle c/n's, on the c/n plate they do carry the 4xxx number. So what you're saying is that this isn't the real c/n but just the serial? Now you mention it, I indeed have seen a site with a production list of all Aerospatiale and Eurocopter choppers (can't find it anymore, a link somebody??), where they indeed have the 2000 difference if I remember well.

[EvD]

Yeah, wouldn't it be great if aircraft manufacturers gave as much meaning to these construction numbers as we seem to do?

If you define construction number as the number the manufacturer sticks on a plane or plate, it is 35xx-42xx for the Gazelles
If you define a construction number as a unique built sequence number denoting its place in the 'mother' production list, then it is 15xx-22xx.
If you want an 'official c/n', there is no such thing with some manufacturers unfortunately. It is just what some administrator assigns to it or calls it
However, it has to be unique or else the tracing of airframes/parts etc for servicing as well as for flight safety directives - that often apply to certain production batches only - would become impossible.

The French army use serials that coincide with what they regard as the manufacturers serial number. This is sometimes not the 'real' production sequence number. For example, the HAP Tigers start with 2001 but obviously it is not the 2001st aircraft, nor the 1001st, not even the 1st, but the 3rd built production aircraft... and let's not start about the NH90...

Erwin