01/31/2008. The four/five-seat 'cold-jet' tip-driven light helicopter
was designed and built by Charles Déchaux. The first prototype,
registered F-WZAI (c/n 1) was first flown at Issy-les-Moulineaux,
France, in December 1976. A single 250 hp Turboméca Palouste IV
shaft-turbine drove an air generator that supplied compressed air to
the rotor tip-drive nozzles, and had a residual exhaust thrust of 88 lb
(40 kg). Heavily underpowered, it was able to carry only its pilot.
The second prototype was powered by a 600 hp Turboméca Aztazou IIIA
shaft-turbine, and registered as F-WZJO (c/n 2), first flew December
12, 1984. Despite the increase in power, test flights at Ferté-Alais
proved it was still underpowered, and subsequently all test flights
were suspended, the prototype stored and the planned production never
came to fruition.
The second prototype was donated for preservation to CELAC (Centre
d'Etudes et de Loisirs Aérospatiaux de Grenoble, Center of Aerospace
Studies and Leisure at Grenoble) on July 25, 2001.
