Agusta As-355

Twin Rotorcraft

The Agusta AS-355 Ecureuil 2, marketed in North America as the TwinStar, is a light twin-engine utility helicopter that emerged in the late 1970s as a twin-powered evolution of the single-engine AS-350. Built by Aérospatiale (later Eurocopter, now Airbus Helicopters) with Agusta producing under license in Italy, the AS-355 entered service in 1979 and quickly became popular for its enhanced safety margin over single-engine designs while retaining the compact footprint and operating economics of a light helicopter. Powered by two Allison 250-C20 turboshaft engines, the type offers single-engine-inoperative capability that made it especially attractive for offshore oil support, emergency medical services, law enforcement, and corporate transport where overwater or mountainous operations demanded redundancy. The AS-355's maximum gross weight of approximately 5,500 pounds and never-exceed speed of 155 knots place it squarely in the light twin category, competing with the Bell 222 and later the Bell 430. Its six-seat cabin, relatively quiet operation, and docile handling characteristics made it a favorite among private operators and small charter companies throughout the 1980s and 1990s, though production ceased in the early 2000s as the newer EC135 and EC145 families took over the light twin market. SkyMeter has tracked 7 flights across 4 airframes and 1 operators over routes, with the largest observed operator.