Photograph:
Aerospatiale SE-3130 Alouette II VH-MRP (c/n 2158) Bankstown in October 1974 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
France
Description:
Light utility helicopter
Power Plant:
One 390-kw (523-shp) Turbomeca Astazou IIA turboshaft
Specifications:
- Rotor diameter: 10.2 m (33 ft 5 5/8 in)
- Fuselage length: 9.75 m (31 ft 11 ¾ in)
- Max speed: 180 km/h (112 mph)
- Max inclined rate of climb: 426 m/min (1,396 ft/min)
- Hovering ceiling in ground effect: 1,550 m (5,085 ft)
- Range with max fuel: 720 km (447 miles)
- Range with max payload: 100 km (62 miles)
- Empty weight: 890 kg (1,961 lb)
- Loaded weight: 1,650 kg (3,630 lb)
History:
Designed by the French company, Sud Aviation, which later became part of Aerospatiale, the national aerospace company, the Alouette II was one of the early success stories in the development, production and marketing of helicopters in France. Three main versions of the Alouette II were produced: the SE-3130 with the 269-kw (360-shp) Turbomeca Artouste turboshaft, of which 923 examples were built; and the SA-3180 with the 410-kw (550-shp) Turbomeca Astazou II turboshaft de-rated to 194-kw (260-shp). These two machines were re-designated SE-313 and SE-313B respectively, and were later replaced on the production line by the third version, the SA-318C with the 390-kw (523-shp) Turbomeca Astazou IIA engine. The Astazou offered a 25% improvement in fuel consumption over the Artouste, and an increase in payload of 170-kg (375-lb).
The Alouette II had a variety of uses, such as flying crane, ambulance, rescue, agricultural, and photographic missions. As an ambulance it could accommodate two casualty stretchers, two sitting casualties, and medical attendants. In military service the Alouette II could operate in the close support and counter-insurgency role, carrying a variety of weapons loads, including air-to-surface missiles mounted externally.
A total of 1,305 Alouette II helicopters was built. Only a couple have appeared on the Australian civil register. These include: VH-FJS (c/n 2029), first registered in April 1969 and owned for a period by Helicopter Transport of Lae and Cairns, Qld. It was damaged in an accident and struck off the register on 18 April 1973. It was rebuilt as a SA 315B Lama, receiving the new c/n 2029A and eventually went to New Guinea as P2-PDU, and later again became VH-PDU.
VH-MRP (c/n 2158) was first registered on 24 September 1970 and was owned by Queensland Mines. On 7 December 1973 it was exported to Fiji. Both of these machines commenced life as the SA-318C model. A SA-318C Alouette has been registered in New Zealand: ZK-HIT (c/n 2241 – ex CF-EZJ, N3062), being operated for a period by Helicopters NZ of Nelson from July 1975. However, on 28 November 1977 whilst landing in the Urewera National Park one of the undercarriage skids collapsed, the main rotor blades striking the tail rotor shaft drive and the helicopter was wrecked.