Aérospatiale Alouette III
The Aérospatiale Alouette III is a single-engine, light utility helicopter developed by French aircraft company Sud Aviation. Introduced in the early 1960s, more than 2,000 units were built during its production run that extended for six decades.
The Alouette III was developed as an enlarged derivative of the earlier successful Alouette II. It shared many design elements with its predecessor while offering an extra pair of seats and other refinements. It quickly became a commercial success and was operated by a range of civil and military customers. Further variants were also developed; amongst these was a high-altitude derivative, designated as the SA 315B Lama, which entered operational service during July 1971. The Alouette III was principally manufactured by Aérospatiale, after its take over of Sud Aviation in 1970. The type was also built by various licensed manufacturers such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in India, by Industria Aeronautică Română in Romania, and by Eidgenössisches Flugzeugwerk in Switzerland.
Similar to the Alouette II, in military service, it was used to perform missions such as aerial observation and photography, air-sea rescue, communication liaison, transport, and training. It could also be armed with anti-tank missiles, anti-ship torpedoes, and a fixed cannon. In a civilian capacity, the helicopter was commonly used for casualty evacuation, crop spraying, personnel transportation, and for carrying other external loads.
By the 2010s, many operators were in the process of drawing down their fleets and replacing them with more modern types; the French Armed Forces intended to replace their Alouette IIIs with the newly developed Airbus Helicopters H160 and the Indian Armed Forces with the HAL Dhruvs.
Development
Origins
The Alouette III has its origins with an earlier helicopter design by French aircraft manufacturer Sud-Est, the SE 3120 Alouette, which, while breaking several helicopter speed and distance records in July 1953, was deemed to have been too complex to be realistic commercial product. Having received financial backing from the French government, which had taken an official interest in the venture, the earlier design was used as a starting point for a new rotorcraft that would harness the newly developed turboshaft engine; only a few years prior, Joseph Szydlowski, the founder of Turbomeca, had successfully managed to develop the Artouste, a single shaft turbine engine derived from his Orédon turbine engine. An improved version of this engine was combined with the revised design to quickly produce a new helicopter, initially known as the SE 3130 Alouette II.During April 1956, the first production Alouette II was completed, becoming the first production turbine-powered helicopter in the world. The innovative light helicopter soon broke several world records and became a commercial success. As a result of the huge demand for the Alouette II, manufacturer Sud Aviation took a great interest in the development of derivatives, as well as the more general ambition of embarking on further advancement in the field of rotorcraft.
In accordance with these goals, the company decided to commit itself to a new development programme with the aim of developing a more powerful helicopter that would be capable of accommodating up to 7 seats or a pair of stretchers. The design team was managed by French aerospace engineer René Mouille. The design produced, designated as the "SE 3160", featured several improvements over the Alouette II; efforts were made to provide for a higher level of external visibility for the pilot as well as for greater aerodynamic efficiency via the adoption of a highly streamlined exterior.
Into flight and production
On 28 February 1959, the first prototype SE 3160 performed its maiden flight, piloted by French aviator Jean Boulet. Shortly thereafter, the SE 3160 would become more commonly known as the Alouette III. During its flight test programme, the prototype demonstrated its high altitude capabilities on several occasions; in June 1959, it landed at an altitude of over 4,000 metres in the Mont Blanc mountain range and, during October 1960, it was able to achieve the same feat at an altitude more than 6,000 metres in the Himalayas. During these attempts, it was flown by Jean Boulet, who was accompanied by a pair of passengers and 250 kg of equipment.During 1961, the initial SE 3160 model of the type entered serial production. On 15 December 1961, the Alouette III received its airworthiness certificate, clearing it to enter operational service. Despite an order placed by the French Army for an initial batch of 50 Alouette IIIs during June 1961, the first two customers of the rotorcraft were in fact export sales, having been sold outside of France. The Alouette III was specifically designed to fly at high altitudes, as such, it quickly earned a reputation for its favourable characteristics during rescue operations. According to its manufacturer, it was the first helicopter to present an effective multi-mission capability and performance to match with its diverse mission range in both civil or military circles.
The SE 3160 model continued to be produced until 1968, when it was replaced by the refined "SA 316B" model. Both the SE 3160 and the SA 316B were powered by a more powerful version of the Artouste engine, the Artouste IIIB, whose turbine was rated to produce, though because of the limits of the engine's reduction gearbox, the Artouste IIIB was de-rated to generate in service. The later "SA 319B" variant adopted the more fuel-efficient Turbomeca Astazou XIVB engine, extending its range and endurance; on 10 July 1967, the Astazou-powered Alouette III performed its first flight. During 1979, the 1,437th Alouette III departed from the company's assembly line in Marignane, France, after which the main production line was closed down as a consequence of diminishing demand for the type. During 1985, the final French-produced Alouette III was delivered. It had been produced from 1961 to 1985 in France, however, license production continued.
Overseas production
Despite the closure of Aérospatiale 's own production line, the event was not the end of the type's manufacturing activity. Over 500 Alouette IIIs are recorded as having been manufactured under licence abroad in several countries, such as Romania, India, and Switzerland. Various versions of the Alouette III were also either licence-built or otherwise assembled by IAR in Romania, F+W Emmen in Switzerland, by Fokker and Lichtwerk in the Netherlands, and in India as the HAL Chetak. The Romanian IAR 316, was an Aérospatiale SA 316B Alouette III license produced from 1971 to 1987, with 250 made with about half for Romania and half for export. Additionally, Romania also developed the IAR 317 Airfox, an attack helicopter version of the IAR 316;at least one prototype was made and was debuted at the 1985 Paris Air Show.Hindustan Aeronautics Limited obtained a licence to construct the Alouette III, which was known locally as the Chetak, at their own production facilities in India. More than 300 units were built by HAL; the company has continued to independently update and indigenise the helicopter over the decades. A modernised variant of the Chetak has remained production, though at a diminished volume, into the 21st century. The latest HAL Chetak was delivered in 2021, and also included updated avionics. Over 350 Chetak had been produced the 2020s.
Operational history
Argentina
The Argentine Naval Aviation operated a total of 14 Alouette III helicopters. A single SA316B was on board the when she was sunk by torpedoes fired by during the 1982 Falklands War with the United Kingdom. A second Alouette III played an important role during the Argentine Invasion of South Georgia. On 2 December 2010, the last example was retired at a ceremony held at BAN Comandante Espora, Bahía Blanca.Australia
Between April 1964 and 1967, a small batch of Alouette IIIs were delivered from France in a disassembled state to Australia. Following their assembly, these were used by the Royal Australian Air Force at the Woomera Rocket Range for light passenger transport purpose and to assist in the recovery of missile parts in the aftermath of test launches conducted at the Range.Austria
Between 1967-69 Austria acquired 12 SE3160 Alouette IIIs, which were upgraded to version SE316B. They are used for liaison and transport purposes and still play a vital role in rescue missions in the high mountains of Austria with their side-mounted hook. They are stationed in Aigen im Ennstal, Klagenfurt and Schwaz in Tirol. Austria planned to decommission them beginning in 2023, and they were to be replaced by the Leonardo AW169M. In addition to the original order, three more used Alouette III were acquired from other forces to replace attrition.Bangladesh
Indian civilian authorities and the Indian Air Force donated a DC-3 Dakota, a Twin Otter, and a Alouette III helicopter to the Bangladesh Air Force, during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. The aircraft were engaged to take advantage of the lack of night-fighting capability of the Pakistan Air Force, and to launch hit-and-run attacks on sensitive targets inside East Pakistan. The Alouette helicopter was extensively modified with a steel plate welded to its floor for extra protection, and fitted with 14 rockets from pylons attached to its side and.303 Browning machine guns. The helicopter was operated by a three member crew consisting of Squadron Leader Sultan Mahmood, Flight Lieutenant Bodiul Alam, and Captain Shahabuddin, all of whom were awarded he Bir Uttam gallantry award.Chile
During 1977, the Chilean Navy ordered a batch of ten SA-319Bs. These rotorcraft, which were delivered by the middle of 1978, were only made operational just before the peak of the Beagle conflict between Chile and neighbouring Argentina. The Alouette III was the first real organic maritime ship borne tactical helicopter to be operated by Chile's naval forces; for this role, they were equipped with a radar and armed with rockets, guns, depth charges and a single light anti-submarine torpedo.During the frantic training period in 1978 to meet wartime needs, a sole SA-319B was accidentally damaged, leading to it being placed in storage and subsequently repaired back to an airworthy condition years later. All ten Chilean Navy SA-319Bs were operational and in excellent conditions by the end of the 1980s, shortly after which they were replaced by larger SA532 Super Puma helicopters, and were bought by civilian operators.