Reference

Eurocopter AS-332 Super Puma

The offshore and utility workhorse. Payload, cargo hold, door size and typical role below.

Eurocopter AS-332 Super Puma cargo aircraft
Photo: Ronnie Macdonald from Chelmsford and Largs, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Maximum payload
About 4,500 kg
Cargo volume
17 m³
Cargo hold (L × W × H)
6.81 × 1.80 × 1.47 m
Cargo door
1.30 × 1.35 m

About the Eurocopter AS-332 Super Puma

A medium utility helicopter, best known for offshore crew transfer but widely used for cargo and sling work.

It carries around four and a half tonnes internally or beneath the fuselage, with the range and over-water certification that offshore and remote operations require.

What it carries

  • Offshore supply
  • Construction sling loads
  • Remote site resupply
  • Survey and utility loads

How it is built

  • A cargo cabin with rear clamshell doors or a ramp, plus an external sling hook under the fuselage for loads that will not fit inside.
  • A floor with tie-down rings rated for the cabin payload, and on the heavy types an internal winch.
  • No requirement for a runway: the load is delivered to a prepared spot, a pad or a bare clearing.

Why it is used

  • Delivers to sites with no airstrip at all, which is the entire reason for using one.
  • Sling loading carries pieces that are too large for any cabin, placed precisely onto a foundation or structure.
  • Routinely used for power-line construction, drilling support, mountain and offshore work, and disaster relief.

What to check before booking

  • Payload and range are small against any fixed-wing freighter, and both fall sharply with altitude and temperature.
  • Operating cost per tonne-kilometre is the highest in air cargo.
  • Weather limits are tighter, and sling operations need clear ground and trained crews at both ends.
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