The Aérospatiale Gazelle became the world’s first serial-production helicopter with a fenestron tail rotor.
The Gazelle was developed by Sud Aviation, later part of Aérospatiale, in cooperation with Westland Helicopters. Its enclosed tail rotor, known as a fenestron, was integrated into the vertical tail. This arrangement improved safety around the tail and helped reduce external rotor noise compared with a conventional exposed tail rotor.
The Gazelle first flew in 1967 and entered service in the 1970s. It was produced in several military and civil versions and became one of the best-known European helicopter designs. Airbus Helicopters later continued developing fenestron-equipped rotorcraft, including the Écureuil and Dauphin families.
The Dauphin is often associated with fenestron technology because it is a prominent later Airbus-family example. However, the Gazelle was the pioneering serial-production design.