Aérospatiale Alouette III

The Aérospatiale Alouette III is a general purpose, single-engined light utility helicopter originally manufactured by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale of France, now Eurocopter). It was mostly used for military purposes, although civilian versions also flew. It is recognised for its mountain rescue capabilities and adaptability. The Alouette III is powered by a Turbomeca Artouste 3B Turbo-Shaft. The Alouette III first flew in 1959 and entered in service with the French Armed forces in 1960.

History

The Alouette (skylark) III is the successor to the Aérospatiale Alouette II, compared to which it is larger and has more seating. In turn, both of these helicopters can trace their ancestry back to the Sud-Est Aviation SE-3120 Alouette piston powered prototypes, the first of which flew for the first time on 31 July 1951.

The first version of the Alouette III, the SE-3160 prototype, first flew on 28 February 1959, powered by the Turboméca Artouste turboshaft. The SA-316A (SE-3120) was the first production model, it remained in production until 1969, when it was replaced by the SA-316B.

The SA-316B had a strengthened transmission and a greater maximum takeoff weight, but retained the Turboméca Artouste turboshaft.

The SA-319B entered production in 1968, powered by the Turboméca Astazou XIV turboshaft, which had a better "hot and high performance" and improved fuel economy.

Alouette III saw action in some wars, including the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 when 2 planes of the PAF were lost in the war, [1]and the Portuguese Colonial War, during 60´s and 70´s with large utilization in Angola, Mozambique and Guinea, where it proved it´s qualities.

The SA-316B and the SA-319B both remained in series production up to the early 1980s, when the main production line in France was closed down. However, HAL of India continues to licence-build Alouette IIIs as the Chetak. Versions of the Alouette III were also either licence-built or assembled by ICA in Romania, F+W Emmen in Switzerland and by Fokker and Lichtwerk in the Netherlands.

Production numbers are as follows:
* France: ca. 1500
* India: 300+ (Still in production.)
* Romania: 200
* Switzerland: 60

Users Past and Present

* Albania (SA 319)
* Angola
* Argentina (SA 316)
* Austria (SA 316)
* Austria (SA 319)
* Australia
* Bangladesh
* Belgium (SA 319)
* Burkina Faso
* Burma (Myanmar)
* Burundi (SA 316)
* Cameroon (SA 319)
* Chad (SA 316)
* Chile (SA 316)
* Congo, Democratic Republic of the (SA 316)
* Congo, Republic of the (SA 316)
* Denmark
* Dominican Republic
* Ecuador (SA 316)
* El Salvador
* Equatorial Guinea
* Ethiopia (SA 316)
* France (SA 316)
* France (SA 319)
* Gabon
* Ghana (SA 316)
* Greece (SA 319)
* Guinea
* Guinea-Bissau (SA 316)
* Hong Kong
* India (SA 319)
* Indonesia (SA 316)
* Iraq (SA 316)
* Ireland (SA 316)
* Israel
* Ivory Coast
* Jordan (SA 316)
* Laos
* Lebanon (SA 316)
* Libya (SA 316)
* Madagascar
* Malawi
* Malaysia (SA 316)
* Malta (SA 316)
* Mexico (SA 319)
* Morocco
* Mozambique
* Nepal
* Netherlands
* Nicaragua
* Pakistan (SA 316)
* Pakistan (SA 319)
* Peru (SA 319)
* Portugal (SA 319)
* Romania (SA 319)
* Rwanda (SA 316)
* Saudi Arabia
* Seychelles
* Singapore
* South Africa (SA 316)
* Spain
* Suriname (SA 316)
* Switzerland (SA 316)
* Tunisia (SA 316)
* Venezuela (SA 316)
* United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi)
* Yugoslavia
* Zambia
* Zimbabwe (SA 316)

Variants

* The SA-316A was the first production version.
* The SA-316B is powered by a 425 kW (570 shp) Turboméca Artouste IIIB turboshaft engine, with strengthened main and tail rotor for greater performance.
* The SA-319B was a direct development of the SA.316B, it was powered has a 649 kW (870 shp) Turboméca Astazou XIV turboshaft engine, but it was derated to 447 kW (660 hp).
* The SA-316B was built under licence in India as the HAL Chetak, and again under licence in Romania as the IAR 316.
* The SA-316C was powered by a Turbomeca Artouste IIID turboshaft engine. The SA-316C was only built in small numbers.
* G-Car and K-Car : Helicopter gunship versions for the Rhodesian Air Force. The G-Car was armed with two side-mounted Browning machine guns. The K-Car was armed with one 20mm Mauser cannon, fitted inside the cabin, firing from the port side of the helicopter.
* IAR-317 Skyfox : Romanian helicopter gunship project. Only three prototypes were ever built.
* Atlas XH-1 Alpha : Two-seat attack helicopter project. It was used in the development of the Rooivalk.

When used as an aerial ambulance, the Alouette III can accommodate a pilot, two medical attendants and two stretcher patients.Sadly on June 2004, the Alouette III was retired from the French Air Force after 32 years of successful service. It will be replaced by the Eurocopter Ec -155 Twin Squirrel. In the same year, the Swiss Armed Forces announced the retirement of the Alouette III, from the front line by 2006, and entirely by 2010. Venezuelan Air forces retired the Alouette III in the late 90´s.

Specifications (Alouette III SA-316B)

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