What material were the Puma's blades made of from 1976?

Short answer

Composite material: the main rotor blades switched to it on the improved SA.330H and SA.330J variants, an evolution from earlier designs. The composite blades dramatically improved performance. The first Puma prototype had flown on 15 April 1965.

Published: November 1, 2026 · Updated: November 1, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

What material were the Puma's blades made of from 1976?

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Composite blades

The Puma's main rotor blades became composite on the improved SA.330H and SA.330J variants, an evolution from earlier designs. The composite blades dramatically improved the helicopter's performance.

From the 1965 prototype to the improved versions

The first Puma prototype made its maiden flight on 15 April 1965. The SA.330J was designed to operate in "all-weather" conditions: at night, in inhospitable flying conditions and in a wide variety of climates. In standard military configuration, the aircraft carried up to 16 seated troops, or six stretchers with four attendants for casualty evacuation. In transport use it is credited with a capacity of 16 to 20 passengers.

The leap to the Super Puma

Super Puma development envisaged from the outset two alternative fuselage lengths, one shortened and one stretched. The pre-series SA 331 prototype flew on 5 September 1977, and the first true Super Puma did so roughly a year later.