Aerospatial |
Alouette . |
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Alouette
II Photo: Robert Deering 4/9/2019 Technik Museum Speyer, Germany |
The Aérospatiale
Alouette II is a French
light helicopter originally manufactured by Sud
Aviation and later Aérospatiale. It holds
the distinction of being the first
production helicopter to be powered by a gas
turbine engine instead of the heavier
conventional piston power plant. On 12 March 1955,
the prototype SE 3130 performed its maiden
flight. The Alouette II was a widely used
type and popular with operators, with over
1,300 rotorcraft eventually being
constructed between 1956 and 1975. The type
was predominantly mostly used for military
purposes in observation,
photography, air-sea rescue, liaison and
training, but it has also carried anti-tank
missiles and homing torpedoes. As a civilian
helicopter, the Alouette II has been used
for casualty evacuation (with two external
stretcher panniers), crop-spraying and as a
flying crane, with a 500-kilogram (1,100 lb)
external under-slung load. A high-altitude
derivative, the SA 315B Lama, was developed
and entered operational service in July
1971. The Alouette II also was further
developed into the larger and more powerful Alouette
III. In 1975, production of the type was
terminated, having been effectively
succeeded by these newer rotor craft.
Despite it being long out of production,
considerable numbers of Alouette II were
still in service at the start of the 21st
century.
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VARIANTS
SE 3130 Alouette II –
After 1967
called SA 313B
Alouette II.
SE 3131 Gouverneur –
Refined executive version with enclosed
tailboom, which
was abandoned in favour of the Alouette
III.
SE 3140 Alouette II –
Proposed version, it was going to be powered
by a 298 kW (400 hp) Turbomeca
Turmo II engine.
None were built.
HKP 2 Alouette II – Swedish license
version of the SE 3130
SA 318C Alouette II Astazou –
It has a 550 shp (410 kW) Turbomeca
Astazou IIA
shaft turbine (derated to 360 shp) and
strengthened transmission system of the Alouette
III.
SA 318C Alouette II (was SE
3180 Alouette II) – After 1967 it was
called the SE 3150.
SA 315B Lama –
designed to meet an Indian armed forces
requirement for operation in "hot and high"
conditions; it combined the Artouste
power plant and rotor system of the Alouette
III with a reinforced Alouette II airframe. |