Ex-SAAF Puma in RAF colours
Date: 24 October 2005
This recently received photograph shows ex-SAAF Puma 144 upon completion at Eurocopter Romania (formerly IAR) in 2004.
Of the six ex-SAAF Puma's purchased, 173/184 are in storage at IIangenech and will probably remain there because, since the project was started in 2002, the RAF has reduced the Puma fleet numbers. The remaining four have been overhauled in Romania and are now with Westland and are due to be complete in 2006. Apart from some corrosion, the airframes were found to be in good condition. A number of SAAF mods and equipment had to be removed to enable rebuild to the base standard Puma from which Westland will modify to the Puma HCMk.1. This has been a difficult task due to a number of parts being obsolete and these have had to be "reversed engineered".
