3 passengers
1 or 2 pilots
150 kts
Speed
428 km
Range
3
Aircraft
2000-2001
Year
The Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters) AS355 Écureuil 2 (or Twin Squirrel) is a twin-engine light utility helicopter developed and originally manufactured by Aérospatiale in France.
The Écureuil 2 was directly derived from the single-engined AS350 Écureuil, performing its maiden flight on 28 September 1979 and introduced to service shortly thereafter. The type was commonly marketed in North America as the TwinStar. During the 1990s, Aérospatiale merged its helicopter interests into the multinational Eurocopter consortium; under this new entity, the Écureuil 2 continued to be manufactured. Shortly after Eurocopter’s rebranding as Airbus Helicopters, the group decided to discontinue production of the Écureuil 2 during 2016, however, production of its single-engined siblings has continued since then.