Performance Charts
They should be read in conjunction with the Critical Wind Azimuth Chart, which relates the wind direction against controllability in terms of tail rotor authority. Essentially, between 050-210° from the nose, performance in the hover may be seriously affected by wind. In the charts, the white area is Area A, in which performance is the same regardless of wind direction. Area B is a much smaller yellow area in the top right which represents any extra performance you can expect from the wind not being in the critical area. So, if you expect either to hover with the wind between 050-210° (you may have to turn after approaching into wind), only use Area A.
The Astar, or Squirrel, depending on which side of the Atlantic you’re on, carries 6 people, including the pilot. Like the 206, it comes in several flavours, but, unlike it, the main rotors go the opposite way round (clockwise when viewed from the top). The original was the B (whatever happened to the A?), running through the BA, B1, B2 and B3 to the D, which is just a B with a Lycoming engine, which, unfortunately did not win much respect in the early days—the book containing the ADs alone would make you overweight (OK, so I’m exaggerating, but it is big. The urban legend has it originally destined for a tank). The DA is the BA with the same engine, and the Super D has the latest model. The C was powered by an earlier Lycoming engine— both C and D are not officially supported by Eurocopter. Otherwise, the essential difference between them all is the increase in power and payload with each step. All except the B share the same airframe and main and tail rotor arrangements as the Twinstar, which itself comes in three flavours, the F1 and F2, with Allison engines, as per

AS350

the 206, and the N, which has the same engine as the EC120 and 135, the Arrius. Disc loading is therefore most on the B, as the blades have a smaller chord to carry 4300 lbs.
The windscreen is made of Lexan, a polycarbonate. The cabin is also constructed of polycarbonate, with glass fibre, ending up stronger than aluminium.
The AS 350 is approved for Day or Night VFR non-icing conditions, according to State regulations, and assuming the right equipment.
It can carry a lot more than the JetRanger, with plenty of power and tail rotor authority, which allows you to hover OGE in almost any wind without trouble. Also, it positively dances in the hover, probably due to the way the downwash interacts with the underneath, and it's very cyclic-sensitive, with the rear right skid hanging much lower than the 206’s left skid. Initially, at least, the best way to take off and land is to behave as if you are on sloping ground. However, the visibility through the floor panels for slinging is not so good, and you often need a longer line than normal just to see the load (at least 100m).

The machine has a good heater and defroster, with plenty of room in the cabin, and is easy to start, even if the battery is low (it's a good idea to crack the ventilator open slightly, so if any leaking hydraulic gets sucked into the engine, you can smell it before the light comes on).