SLAe Bobcat

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>> SLAe Bobcat

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The SLAe Bobcat is a Serpens Land twin engine utility helicopter designed and built by SLAe Systems. The Bobcat primarily serves in the battlefield utility, anti-armour, search and rescue and anti-submarine warfare roles. The Bobcat is a fully aerobatic helicopter with the ability to perform loops and rolls. Several land and naval variants of the Bobcat have been produced including land and naval variants.

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>> Development

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In 1992, the Serpens Land Ministry of Defence (MOD) announced that it would begin to replace the Navy's HELICOPTER, and the Air Force's HELICOPTER helicopters with a single design. SLAe Systems was quick to submit a proposal for it's design - then designed the SLH-3. The MOD was initially skeptical of the design, instead preferring the cheaper Wilcox-Aerospace Tiger. Despite this fact, SLAe continued to develop the SLH-3.

In May 1995, just months after the first flight of the Bobcat, a Wilcox-Aerospace Tiger helicopter crashed into the sea killing everyone on board. The investigation that followed revealed that the crash was due to a major hydraulic failure. Wilcox-Aeyers decided to drop out of the bid, declaring the already over budget Tiger project a failure. This put SLAe in a position to win the bid.

In January 1998, the Ministry of Defence announced it's plans to order 125 aircraft (35 for the army, 45 for the air force, and 45 for the navy). In June 1998 it was announced the SLH-3 would be designated the Bobcat in Serpens Land service. Production began in 2000 at SLAe's plant in Bramber, and the first aircraft was delivered to the RSLAF in early 2001 with the first RSLN aircraft delivered a few months later.

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>> Variants

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Bobcat AFH1

Initial battlefield reconnaissance mode. 45 ordered for Royal Serpens Land Air Force, and 35 for the Serpens Land Army

Bobcat MH2 "Seacat"

Initial maritime model, total of 45 ordered for the Royal Serpens Land Navy. Equipped with an SLAe Whitecap 7000E active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar

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>> Specifications

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General characteristics

• Crew: 2 pilots

• Capacity: 6 passengers, including door gunner

• Length: 16.21 m

• Height: 3.73 m

• Empty weight: 3,500 kg

• Max takeoff weight: 6,000 kg

• Powerplant: 2 × SLEC LHTEC CTS800-4N turboshaft 1,015 kW (1,361 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 168 knots

• Range: 777 km

• Ferry Range: 998 Km

• Endurance: 2 h 15 m

• Wing loading: 383 kg/m2

Armament

• Pintle-mounted machine gun

• Up to 4 x anti ship missiles

• 1 x torpedo

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>> Operators

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Serpens land

• Royal Serpens Land Air Force - AFH1

• Serpens Land Army - AFH1

• Royal Serpens Land Navy - MH2