Aérospatiale Alouette II

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The Aérospatiale Alouette II (French pronunciation: [alwɛt], "lark"; company designations SE 313 and SA 318) is a French light helicopter originally manufactured by Sud Aviation and later Aérospatiale. It was the first conventional production helicopter powered by a gas turbine engine instead of the heavier conventional piston powerplant. 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 used for military purposes in observation, photography, air-sea rescue, liaison and training. It has also carried anti-tank missiles and homing torpedoes. In civilian roles, the Alouette II has been used for medical evacuation (with two external stretcher panniers), crop-spraying, and as a flying crane—with a 500-kilogram (1,100 lb) external underslung load. A high-altitude derivative, the SA 315B Lama, was developed...

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