The Alouette II is a light helicopter originally manufactured by Sud Aviation and later Aérospatiale of France. The Alouette II has the honour of being the first helicopter that used a gas turbine instead of a conventional heavier piston engine. A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more large horizontal rotors (propellers). ... Sud Aviation was a French aircraft manufacturer, originating from the merger of SNCASE (Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Sud Est) and SNCASO (Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Sud Ouest) on March 1, 1957. ... The Aérospatiale Corvette first flew in 1970 and went into service in 1974. ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ...

It was 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 it was put to use as a casualty evacuation (with two external stretcher panniers), crop-spraying and flying crane (with a 500kg external sling load).

History

Although Sud-Est's previous helicopter design, the SE.3120 Alouette, broke helicopter speed and distance records in July 1953, it was too complex an aircraft to market successfully. With the records falling, the French goverment started showing interest but with their financial backing the state gave an ultimatum that within 2 years a helicopter had to be in production otherwise all activities around rotary wings would cease! SNCASE came up with 7 turbo-engine helicopters designs: X.310A - X.310G. Earlier Joseph Szydlowski, the founder of Turboméca had successfully managed to develop the Artouste, a 260 hp single shaft turbine engine derived from his Orédon turbine. The X.310G design was chosen and together with the Artouste engine was fast tracked towards production as the SE.3130 Alouette II. This is a list of aviation-related events from 1953: Events The first year in which the worlds airlines carried more than 50 million people (ICAO statement, 29 December) January January 26 - The first meeting of the Experimental Aircraft Association takes place at Milwaukee, Wisconsins Curtis-Wright Field. ...

The SE-3130, first flew on March 12 1955 and within 3 months a pre-series Alouette II flown by Jean Boulet set a new helicopter altitude record of 8,209 m on June 6 then on June 13 pushed the record even further to 10,984 m. March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in Leap years). ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1955: Events February February 26 - George F. Smith becomes the first person to survive a supersonic ejection, from a North American F-100 Super Sabre travelling (Mach 1. ... June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... June 13 is the 164th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (165th in leap years), with 201 days remaining. ...

The Alouette II made the news on July 3 1956 when it became the first helicopter to perform a mountain-rescue by evacuating a mountaineer who had suffered from cardiac arrest at over 4,000 m and again on January 3 1957 the Alouette II was called upon to rescue the crew of a crashed Sikorsky S-58 which was searching for missing mountaineers Jean Vincendon and François Henry on Mont Blanc. July 3 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1956: Events March March 10 - Lt Cdr Peter Twiss sets a new airspeed record in the Fairey Delta FD.2, also becoming the first person to exceed 1,000 mph. ... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1957: Events January January 18 - Three Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses make the worlds first round the world, non-stop flight by turbojet-powered aircraft. ... This article is about the Alpine mountain. ...

The Alouette II gained its domestic certificate of airworthiness on May 2 1957. May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ...

Production started initially to fulfil orders from the French armed forces and civilian customers, but by the time production ended in 1975 with over 1500 Alouette II's had been built and in use in over 80 countries including 47 armed forces. It is also licence built in Sweden, India and in the United States. This is a list of aviation-related events from 1975: Events January A specially modified McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle sets eight time to climb records, including one of 3 minutes 27 seconds from standstill on the runway to a height of 30,000 metres (98,425 feet). ... The Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish: Konungariket Sverige  listen) is a Nordic country in Scandinavia, in Northern Europe. ... The Republic of India is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of more than one billion, and is the seventh largest country by geographical area. ... The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America, the States, or (archaically) Columbia—is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ...

In 1963 the Alouette II became the first commercially operated turbine helicopter in the USA. This is a list of aviation-related events from 1963: Events January January 7 - Aeroflot commences direct services between Moscow and Havana February February 14 - the Indian Air Force receives its first batch of Soviet fighters, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21s March March 18 - the Dassault Balzac makes its first transitions...

Versions

• SE.3130 Alouette II - After 1967 called SA.313B Alouette II
• SE.3131 Gouverneu - VIP version which led up to the Alouette III
• SE.3140 Alouette II
• HKP 2 Alouette II - Swedish licence version of the SE.3130
• SE.3150 Alouette Astazou - It has a 550 shp Turboméca Astazou IIA shaft turbine (derated to 360 shp) and strengthened transmission system of the Alouette III
• SE.3180 Alouette II - After 1967 called SA.318C Alouette II derived from the SE.3150
• HAL Chetak - Indian licence version of the SE.3180
• SA-315B Lama - Derived from the SE.3150, it was designed for high altitude operations using a 650kW (870shp) Turboméca Astazou IIIB turboshaft, derated to 410kW (550shp). This derivitive still holds the absolute altitude record for all types of helicopters since 1972: 12,442 m.
• HAL Cheetah - Indian licence version of the SA.315B Lama
• HAL Lancer - modified and updated version of Cheetah.

1967 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... The Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish: Konungariket Sverige  listen) is a Nordic country in Scandinavia, in Northern Europe. ... 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... The Republic of India is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of more than one billion, and is the seventh largest country by geographical area. ...

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Specifications (SA-313B Alouette II)

General Characteristics

• Crew: one, pilot
• Capacity: four passengers
• Length: 9.70 m (31 ft 10 in)
• Main rotor diameter: 10.20 m (33 ft 5 in)
• Height: 2.75 m (9 ft 0 in)
• Main rotor area: 81.7 m² (879 ft²)
• Empty: 895 kg (1,973 lb)
• Loaded: kg ( lb)
• Maximum takeoff: 1,600 kg (3,527 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 x Turboméca Artouste IIC6 turboshaft, 410 kW (550 shp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 185 km/h (115 mph)
• Range: 565 km (904 miles)
• Service ceiling: 2,250 m (7,380 ft)
• Rate of climb: 252 m/min (825 ft/min)
• Main rotor loading: kg/m² ( lb/ft²)
• Power/Mass:

Related content

Related development:

Comparable aircraft:

Designation sequence: SE.310 - SE.311 - SE.312 - SE.313 - SE.314 - SE.315 - SE.316 - SA.318 - SA.319 - SA.320 - SA.321

See also:

• List of civil aircraft