What record does the civilian Gazelle SA 341G hold?

Short answer

Its mark isn't about speed: the SA 341G was the first helicopter certified for single-pilot instrument flight (IFR) operations. The two closed-circuit world speed records, 307 km/h over 3 km and 292 km/h over 100 km, were set by a Gazelle on 13 May 1967.

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

What record does the civilian Gazelle SA 341G hold?

Gondola, Breitling Orbiter 3

First in single-pilot IFR

The SA 341G became the first helicopter certified for single-pilot instrument flight rules (IFR) operations. That certification reflected its stability and handling characteristics. The first production variant of the Gazelle flew on 6 August 1971.

The 1967 speed records

On 13 May 1967, a Gazelle set two separate closed-circuit world speed records: 307 km/h over 3 kilometres and 292 km/h over 100 kilometres. At that point the programme was still in its prototype phase: the SA 340 had first flown on 7 April 1967, still with a conventional tail rotor, and the fenestron did not appear until the second prototype, in early 1968.

The model's technical innovations

The Gazelle was the first helicopter with a fenestron-type tail instead of a conventional anti-torque rotor. Its original main rotor was inspired by a rigid system created by Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm for the Bo 105. Designers adopted an articulated rotor for the production models after encountering control difficulties during high-speed prototype trials.