Eurocopter EC 665 Tigre

Designed to meet a French and German requirement for a multi-role helicopter in the European theater, the EC 665 began development in 1989 and reached production in 1999. The first units were delivered in 2003. The helicopter is constructed almost entirely of composites, with the latest in avionics, targeting systems, and countermeasures. Spain and Australia have also ordered Tigers.

The helicopter has a crew of two. The pilot sits aft and above the copilot/gunner. The Tigre burns 115 gallons of jet fuel per hour of routine usage. The helicopter has an endurance of 3.5 hours. A full tank of fuel and cannon ammo costs $4,518. Missiles for the hardpoints cost an additional $520,000.

Subassemblies: Body +3, Top-and-tail rotor +0, two Stub Wings +0; three Fixed Wheels -1.

Powertrain: Two 956-kW Improved HP gas turbines; 1,916-kW Improved TTR drivetrain, 2,300-kWs advanced battery.

Fuel: 366 gallons jet fuel (Fire 13) in standard self-sealing tank [Body] (fire -1).

Occupancy: 2 NCS.

Cargo: 0 lbs.

Armor F RL B T U

All: 4/50 4/50 4/50 4/50 4/50

Weaponry:

30mm Cannon/GIAT M30/781B [Body:F] (450 rounds SAPHE).

8x165mm SACLOS ATGM/HOT3 [Stub Wings:U].

4x90mm IRH-AAM/Mistral [Stub Wings:U].

Equipment:

Body: Combat Helicopter Package (advanced radar detector, autopilot, dedicated targeting computer with software, digital recon camera, HUDWAC with pupil scanner, IFF, IR jammer (-2), 10x LLTV, military GPS, navigation instruments, two long-range radios with scramblers (300 miles), two smoke/decoy dischargers, two reloads (flares), 10-mile thermograph), 2-man environmental control, laser rangefinder. Stub Wings: Two hardpoints each.

Statistics:

Size: 52'x?'x17' Payload: 3.6 tons Lwt.: 6.72 tons

Volume: 329 cf Maint.: 16 hours Price: $1,540,999

HT: 10. HPs: 329 Body, 144 Rotors, 48 each Stub Wing, 30 each Wheel.

aSpeed: 167 aAccel: 4 aDecel: 17 aMR: 4 aSR: 2

Stall speed 0.

Design Notes:

Body is 220 cf; rotor is 4.4 cf; stub wings are 4.4 cf, wheels are 11 cf. Structure is medium, very expensive with fair streamlining. Armor is expensive composite. Mechanical controls. Fuel tank is standard, seal-sealing. Design loaded weight was 1% under; design empty weight was 11% over.

The design purchases a 30mm 2A42 cannon, since no exact GURPS design exists. The Tigre can also carry two 350 L (92.4 gal.) drop tanks instead of one set of missiles.

Real-world loaded weight was used for performance calculations. Design cost was used for maintenance calculations. The real-world speed has been substituted; design aSpeed was 256 mph. The chin turret was subsumed in the body volume. Current unit price is approximately $38-48 million.

Variants:

The Tigre HAC is the French anti-tank version. 100 built.

The Tiger UHT is the German anti-tank/multi-role version. 212 built.

The Tigre HAP is the French escort/close support version. 115 built.

From the Aerodrome for GURPS