Eurocopter AS355 Écureuil 2

AS355 Écureuil 2/Twin Squirrel/TwinStar
General information
TypeLight utility helicopter
National originFrance
ManufacturerAérospatiale
Eurocopter
Airbus Helicopters
DaimlerChrysler Aerospace
StatusIn service
History
Manufactured1975–2016
First flight28 September 1979
Developed fromEurocopter AS350 Écureuil
Developed intoEurocopter AS555 Fennec 2

The Eurocopter, later Airbus Helicopters, AS355 Écureuil 2, or Twin Squirrel, is a twin-engine light utility helicopter developed and originally manufactured by Aérospatiale in France.

The Écureuil 2 was directly derived from the single-engined AS350 Écureuil, performing its maiden flight on 28 September 1979 and introduced to service shortly thereafter. The type was marketed in North America as the TwinStar. During the 1990s, Aérospatiale merged its helicopter interests into the multinational Eurocopter consortium; under this new entity, the Écureuil 2 continued to be manufactured. In 2016, shortly after Eurocopter's rebranding as Airbus Helicopters, the group ended production of the Écureuil 2.