Lark II

The Alouette II is a general-purpose Hélicoptère light produced under various versions by the aeronautical Constructeur French South-Aviation, become in 1970 the Aérospatiale, and of which the department Hélicoptère with integrated thereafter in the group Eurocopter. It is also the first Hélicoptère in the world certified with a gas turbine.

Origin

With its creation on February 20th, 1937, SNCASE (National company of the aeronautical engineerings of South-east) had absorbed the firm Lioré and Olivier and his personnel. However Lioré and Olivier had a department Autogyre directed by Pierre Renoux. With the Release Pierre Renoux accepted the reinforcement of some German technicians to test the birotor Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 Drache, renamed SE.3000. To try out the formula of a project of large tonnage, SE.3100, Renoux then made build an experimental single-seater, SE.3101, simple tubular structure which stole in June 1948 with an engine Mathis of 85 ch and gave rise to a carefully careened two-seater apparatus, SE-3110. But the SE.3110 was destroyed on accident in September 1950 and the State-shareholder threatened to close the department revolving aerofoils. The engineer Charles Marchetti, who had just been engaged to assist Pierre Renoux, was thus affected with another program… at the time or Renoux decided to leave SNCASE! It is thus a very young engineer, Rene Mouille, who found himself with the head of a team reduced to a score of people charged to develop what was announced like a `agricultural version' of SE-3110 although having a three-seater installation.

Development

SNCASE SE.3120 Lark

The prototype SE.3120 Alouette, that the test pilot Henri Stakenburg succeeds in taking off the July 31st, 1951, was been driven by a piston engine Salmson 9NH of 200 ch and suffered from problems from vibrations which were fortunately quickly solved. It posted also excellent performances, highlighted by Jean Boulet on July 2nd, 1953: It allocated on board second prototype two records in closed circuit: That from speed to 103,913 km/h and that of distance with 1252,572 km. This apparatus was tested successfully in various configurations, but its construction proved too complex so that a series production can be considered.

SNCASE SE.3130 Lark II

At the beginning of 1950 the research department helicopters of SNCASE had seven projects of helicopters equipped with turbomotors (X-310A/G) establish by Pierre Renoux before his departure of the company. This one indeed followed with attention work of Joseph Szydlowski to the Turbomeca. The turbine seemed indeed the answer to the problems arising from the piston engines (weight, obstruction, power…), but the American manufacturers had failed in this field. Named chief engineer of the research department revolving aerofoils on July 1st, 1953, Charles Marchetti and his team thought of arriving there. Benefitting from the renewed interest of the official services caused by the records obtained with SE.3120, officially baptized Lark, Marchetti obtained the agreement of the chief technical officer of the SNCASE, André Vautier, to develop the project X-310G equipped with a turbine Artouste, subject making quickly. One needed concrete results in the two years. The new helicopter took designation SE.3130 .

Charged with drawing the apparatus, Rene Mouille made simple by adopting tested systems: SNCASE holding a license, one used a case of transmission principal derivative of that of the Sikorsky S-55 and a hub of principal rotor extrapolated of the German hubs and Cierva. The blades were a combination of technologies Bell and Sikorsky. The principal innovation of SE.3130 was thus its motorization, which one could have been satisfied to apply it to SE.3120. But Artouste had passed from 250 (Artouste 1) to 400 ch (Artouste 2) and it became possible to consider an apparatus for four or five passengers, a crenel without competition. A new helicopter was thus drawn, even if the great principles of construction of SE.3120 were preserved.

SE.3130-01 , registered, made its 1st flight on the ground of Buc the March 12th, 1955, controlled by Jean Boulet and Henri Petit, with Artouste II of 360 ch. Quelques problems of vibrations quickly solved, a second prototype was quickly put in building site at Courneuve. He took the air on May 25th. Undeniable qualities of the Alouette II gave the idea to the engineers to try to beat a record. It was done the June 6th, 1955, in Buc, with SE.3130-02 controlled by Jean Boulet which took along the apparatus to 8209 m, thus beating the record of altitude for helicopters (Categories E1 and E1b), held since the October 17th, 1954 by the Sikorsky S-59 (XH-39), also motorized with Artouste 2, 7.472 m,

July 14th, 2007 Lark II 1003 F-GIJE (oldest still in service) takes off of Lognes for first world: the transatlantic crossing of Paris with Oshkosh… Without the least engineering problems the crew Pascal PETITGENET () and David DAHDI () deposits after 65 hours of flight the 1003 on the American ground after having crossed England, Scotland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, Canada and of the United States

Towards a series production

Three apparatuses of preproduction (SE.3130-04/06) took the air the August 1st, 1955, March 6th, 1656 and April 2nd, 1956. Intended for the National marine, first customer of the Lark II , they had their shoes replaced by an undercarriage quadricycle Messier, facilitating the handling of the helicopters on the ships. These apparatuses were intended for the training of the first pilots of the naval aeronautics, whose formation was ensured by Gerard Henry.

July 3rd, 1956 a Alouette II of preproduction was going to recover with more than 4000 m a mountaineer victim of an mild heart attack, and on January 3rd, 1957 it is still a Lark II which went to the help of the crew of a Sikorsky S-58 which had struck in the Mont Blanc with the research of the mountaineers Jean Vincendon and François Henry. These operations, largely covered by the national press, facilitated obtaining French civil certification, delivered the May 2nd, 1957 by DGAC. January 14th, 1958 the Alouette II became the first turbine-powered helicopter to take down American certification. In 1963 a Alouette II was the first turbine-powered helicopter used in business transactions in the USA.

Left factory 13 month only after the first prototype, the first standard appliance was delivered to the Air force. In April 1957 a Alouette II of the Air force (n° 9) accompanies forwarding Paul-Emile Victor with the Greenland. If a Alouette II were delivered as of the month of May 1957 to the agent Southern Aviation in Sweden, the Portugal was the first foreign military customer with an apparatus delivered as of August 1957.

Production

After fusion of SNCASE and SNCASO in March 1957, Southern Aviation continued the development of the family Alouette . The Alouette II was initially manufactured with the factory of Courneuve, in-flight tests being carried out with the Le Bourget, where a Center of tests of the blades and mechanical units, the CEHB, was installed. But the success of the helicopter ordered an enlarging of the installations. The factory Southern Aviation of Marignane lack workloads, the production was transferred there in 1961, then in-flight tests in 1962 and the whole of work of studies in 1964, the factory of Courneuve preserving only the manufacture of the blades and the commercial department.

In addition to the two prototypes, SNCASE, Southern Aviation, then Aerospace as from 1970, produced 1305 Lark II, that is to say 923 SE.3130 / SE.313B with Artouste turbine (134 civilians and 789 soldiers) and 382 SE.3180 / SE.318C with turbine Astazou (208 civilians and 174 soldiers). For these figures it would be necessary to add a vague number of apparatuses licensed product in Sweden (2), with the the United States (20 apparatuses produced by Republic Aviation), in India (250+) and with the Brésil. It should be noted that Republic Aviation tested on two SE.3130 of series (N527 c/n 1129 and N529, c/n 140) a turbomotor Garrett AiResearch Lark (English Lark!) 500 ch. Le the last SA.318C left factory in spring 1975, date on which the Alouette II was in service in more than 80 countries and 47 armed forces.

Description

SE.3130 is a simple apparatus of design, of which the structure rests on a unit triangulated out of tubes of weld steel and inflated with nitrogen, an indicator in end of tail making it possible to detect the escapes, of which splits. This structure receives with before a largely glazed cabin, equipped with broad doors. One finds behind limps of principal transmission, with the top a rotor made up of three metal blades with variable step and in lower part a fuel tank of 596 liters. The turbine is assembled to the top, just behind limps of transmission. With the back a horizontal stabilizer, a two-bladed anti-torque rotor and a crutch of protection. The unit rests in theory on two shoes, which can be replaced by a train quadricycle or floats. Standard installation includes/understands two seats ahead, including one for the pilot, and three seats with the back, but the optional equipment is numerous and allows a large variety of missions: transport of loads under sling, medical evacuation, agricultural pulverization, rescue with winch…

Versions

  • SE.3130 Lark II: basic Model with turbine Turbomeca Artouste IIC.
    • SA.313 Lark II: Designation from 1968 of the turbine apparatuses Artouste IIC, limited to the total mass of 1.500 kg.
    • SA.313B Lark II: Designation from 1968 of the turbine apparatuses Artouste IIC6, authorized with the total mass of 1.600 kg.
    • HKP 2 Lark II: Two SE.3130 licensed product in Sweden by Saab.
  • SE.3131 Governor: to carry out a version of transport VIP to entirely ducted fuselage the President of Southern Aviation, Georges Héreil, addressed to the famous designer Raymond Loewy, draftsman of famous the Citroen DS. The prototype, constructed by modifying a standard appliance (SE.3130 n° 1055 F-BIEJ), was presented on May 30th, 1957 to the Paris airshow whereas it added up hardly ten hours of vol. the next on December 14th, controlled by Jean Boulet, the prototype transported President Rene Coty of the castle of Rambouillet to Orly to accommodate the President Eisenhower there. This apparatus was not marketed, the careenages weighing down the apparatus and disturbing qualities of yaw flight, but took part in the development program of the Alouette III. The prototype was given thereafter to the standard and convert in SE.3180 .
  • SE.3140 Lark II: Within the framework of the program of the future SE.3200 Frelon, Southern Aviation made steal on May 16th, 1957 a prototype with a free turbine Turbomeca Turmo II of 400 ch, which was to make it possible to deduce the diameter from the rotor to 8,40 m since it was possible to vary the mode of the rotor. This model did not give the expected results, and after passage to the CEV it was transformed into SE.3130 .
  • SE.3150 Astazou Lark: 2 prototypes built on market of state within the framework of the program Alouette III. The SE.3150-001 was not other than SE.3130-002 remotorized with a turbine Turbomeca Astazou IIA, the mechanical gear-box of the Alouette III, a principal rotor of 11 m and a three-bladed anti-torque rotor.
To take again the record of altitude, carried to 9.076 m by the Cessna YH-41, SE.3150-002 was reduced to the maximum (smaller tank, removal of the nonessential instruments,…) and Jean Ball subjected to a specific drive out of box of decompression. Réimmatriculé it reached 9.583 m with the top of Brétigny-sur-Orge on June 9th, 1958 controlled by Jean Boulet, record not approved. The June 13rd it establishes 4 new records for helicopters (Categories E1 and E1b): Boarding time to 3000 m (5 min 31 S), boarding time to 6000 m (11 min 1 S), boarding time to 9000 m (17 min 44s) and altitude (10 984 m). It was the first time that a helicopter exceeded the altitude of 10.000 Mr. This record will hold 14 years. It will be beaten by Jean Boulet on a SA.315B LAMA .
  • SA.3180 Lark II: Evolution of SE.3130 , with turbine Astazou IIA with lower specific consumption, but especially with a centrifugal clutch. The prototype was the SE-3130 n°1012 of series, become SA-3180-01, and accomplished its first flight the January 31st, 1961. The navigability certificate was issued on February 18th, 1964 and the deliveries began in 1965 with a series from 15 for ALAT. The SA-3180-02, which took the air on January 24th, 1966, was him a testing ground flying for a new rotor, which was developed in partnership with German Bölkow and was assembled on SA.340 Gazelle.
    • SA.318B Lark II: Designation from 1968 of the turbine apparatuses Astazou IIA, limited to the total mass of 1.600 kg.
    • SA.318C Lark II: Designation from 1968 of the turbine apparatuses Astazou IIA2, authorized with the total mass of 1.650 kg.
  • SA.315B LAMA: Evolution of SE.3150 optimized for operations with very high-altitude with a turbine Turbomeca Astazou IIIB détarée with 550 ch. Destiné to meet an Indian need for an apparatus able to operate in the the Himalayas, the prototype stole the March 17th, 1969. As of 1969 of the tests took place in the the Himalayas, the prototype carrying out of takeoffs and landings to altitude record of 7500 m with two men has edge and 120 kg of fuel. French certification was obtained on September 30th, 1970 and adopted designation LAMA in July 1971. This apparatus is holder since the June 21st, 1972 absolute records of altitude for helicopters (E1 Category) with 12.442 m, always controlled by Jean Boulet.
    • HALL Cheetah: In 1971 was finalized between Aérospatiale and HALL of the licensing agreements. The first LAMA assembled in the factory of Bangalore took the air on October 6th, 1972 and the deliveries began in December 1973.
    • HALL Throw: Modernization of the HALL Cheetah .
    • HB 315B Gaviao : SA.315B licensed product with the Brazil by Hélibras, which bought the license in 1978.

Military users

  • South Africa: 8 apparatuses delivered in December 1960 to SAAF and used by No 17 sqdn for the formation helicopter, always in service in 1995.
  • Germany: The federal republic was, after the France, the important customer of Lark II. The first specimens arrived at Heeresfliegferwaffenschule de Buckeburg in 1959. 226 SE.3130/SA.313B and 54 SA-318C were delivered. Heeresfliegertruppen withdrew their last apparatus of service on March 31st, 2006, that is to say 47 years of service.
  • Angola:
  • Argentinian: 3 or 4 SA.315B were brought into service in 1973 at BA VII of Mariano Moreno. In 1977 they were transferred to BA IV and one additional civil apparatus was bought into 2001 with the the United States. From 1997 they were transferred to Escuadrón III from the Group of Hunting 4, stationed with Mendoza… although being used for medical missions and SAR. The Argentinian army also uses the LAMA , the Battalion of Aviacion de Combat 601 of Campo of Mayo having 6 SA.315B counts some in 1986.
  • Austria: 16 apparatuses for the air force.
  • Belgium: A first batch of 17 SE.3130 was bought in 1959 by the Belgian Army to replace its Piper Super Cub. In 1967 2 batches of SA.3180 for a total of 42 apparatuses were ordered, whose 31 specimens were assembled by SABCA. Three apparatuses were sent to the Congolese Police force, the others distributed between Light Aviation Flight operating with the Burundi and the escadrilles 15 (Brasschaat), 16 (Butzweilerhof), 17 (Werl) and 18 (Merzbruck), as well as the school of light aviation of Brasschaat which constituted with these apparatuses a flotilla of air presentations, Blue Bees.
The startup in 1992 of the Agusta A109 Hirundo with limited the role of the Lark II Belgian to the missions of drive and connection. After participation in the humane missions of UNO in Somalia and in the Rwanda in 1993/1994, it did not remain in 1995 qu ' about fifteen apparatuses in-flight status, gathered in 16th Battalion of Helicopters of Connection to Butzweilerhof, Germany. This unit was repatriated on Bierset in September 1995 and the school of light aviation having closed in 2006, the last apparatuses were withdrawn from service and were stored in 2007. In 1968 were also bought 6 SA.3180 Alouette II for the Gendarmerie. Controlled and maintained by the Army on behalf of the Gendarmerie, a specimen was lost in 1968, the others reformed between May 1999 and July 2000.
  • Benign: At least 1 apparatus in service in 1986.
  • Bolivia: Escuadrón 511 of Cochabamba has 2 SA.315B/HB.315B .
  • Brazil:
  • Kampuchea: 8 Lark II delivered to the army Khmer.
  • Cameroun: 5 SA.318C delivered in 1968, always in service in 1986.
  • Chile: In 1986 the first Air Brigade had 2 escadrilles of SA.315B LAMA and the second Brigade of a complete group. In addition 6 SA.315B were delivered into 1972/73 to the Chilean army, 10 others in 1978. 3 only were still in service in 2001.
  • Congo (Belgian): 3 SA.318C delivered to the air force in 1971.
  • South Korea:
  • Ivory Coast: 2 bought by the armed forces in 1963.
  • Djibouti: A SE.3130 of the surpluses of the French Army given to the aviation of Djibouti in 1979.
  • Ecuador: In 1997 L' Escuadrón de Combate 2212 of Guayaquil 3 SA.315B has.
  • Finland: Ilmavoimat reformed its Larks II in 1975.
  • France: 394 military specimens were delivered to the three weapons:
    • National marine: 26 apparatuses used of 1955 to 1997, first apparatuses entering in service with the' flotilla 23S since 1956. The escadrilles 10S (1955/56), 20S (1956/1991), 22S and 58S (1956/60), the flotilla 35F and the marine section with the ESALAT of Dax were then equipped. Based with Saint-Raphaël, the 10S used aircraft equipped with floats to observe the launching of torpedes, and in September 1957 arrived first Lark II at wheels, adapted better to the landings. Replaced gradually by the Alouette III in the Seventies then AS-365F Dolphin in the Nineties, they continued to ensure the training of the pilots and the missions of support for the profit of the Center of tests of the Mediterranean. The last flight of a Lark II of Naval Aeronautics took place on December 31st, 1997, with the 23S.
    • Air force: 139 apparatuses, used until 1996. The two squadrons of helicopters of the Air force made up in 1956 took part in the operations in Algérie, not without some problems of adaptation. Lark II were mainly used as flying headquarters.
    • Army: 229 for the ALAT, which carried out tests of anti-tank shooting of missiles AS.10 and AS.11
    • Gendarmerie: Use Lark II of 1955 to 1989.
  • Great Britain: 17 Alouette II were delivered to Army Air Body.
  • Guinea-Bissau: 1 SA.313B in service at the squadron of transport of Bissau-Bissalanca in 1999.
  • India: The SA.315B is used by the Air Force and Army Light Aviation. The Cheetah are regularly used with more than 7500 m in the advanced observation posts of the the Himalayas.
  • Indonesia: 3 delivered to the armed forces.
  • Israel: 3 SE.3130 sold in Heyl ha' to avir (c/n 1222/4) and a SE.313B (c/n 1887) bought on the German civil market. An apparatus registered 4X-HBM/021 is preserved in Israel, but its identity is not known, the helicopter carrying this identification being it (c/n 1887) which was resold in Switzerland.
  • Laos: 2 sold with the Armed forces.
  • Lebanon: 4 SE.3130 sold with the Lebanese army, of which 2 were always in service in 1999.
  • Madagascar: 1 SE.3130 delivered in 1974.
  • Morocco: 7 Lark II delivered to the forces of the sherifs.
  • Mexico: 2 apparatuses.
  • Namibia: The air force bought HALL Cheetah .
  • Nepal: At the end of 2001 India yielded free to Nepal 2 Cheetah . It seems that the 11th air Brigade also uses HALL Throw .
  • Pakistan: In 2002 the squadron of aviation of army n° 8 has a dozen SA.315B stationed in Qasim, Rawalpindi.
  • the Netherlands: 8 apparatuses delivered to the air force and used in Indonesia.
  • Peru: 8 SA.318C delivered to the Army in January 1974. They were replaced ten years later by an identical number of SA.315B .
  • Portugal: The ministry for Portuguese Defense was the first military customer with export, a Lark II (c/n 1082) being convoyed in flight of Paris to Lisbon between August 4th and 7th 1957. 7 apparatuses delivered to the air force.
  • Central African Republic: Used by the Air force.
  • Dominican Republic: 2 SE.3130 for Escuadrón de Helicópteros of San Isidro, always in service in 1998.
  • El Salvador:
  • Senegal: Between 1965 and 1972 the air force sénégalaise took delivery of 5 Alouette II .
  • Sweden: The three services of the royal army used on the whole 25 Alouette II . As of May 1957 a Lark II (c/n 1062) had been delivered to the agent South-Aviation in Sweden.
  • Swiss: 30 SE.3130 equipped Leichte Fliegerstaffel 1 to 7. About fifteen specimens were always in service in 1986, this type of apparatus having been reformed in 1993.
  • Togo: The Flotilla of Transport received 2 Alouette II in 1979 and 1 SA.315B in 1980. They were always in service in 1986.
  • Tunisia: 8 SE.3130 delivered in 1963 to the Tunisian army.
  • Turkey: 18 SA.318C delivered to the Turkish Army, and transferred later on to the police force.
  • Vietnam (Southern):

External bonds

  • Photographs
  • Historical
  • List of very complete, regularly updated production

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