HISTORY OF THE ALOUETTE II

The Alouette II was designed to meet both military and civilian requirements with a high altitude capacity. It was manufactured by Sud Aviation and later Aerospatiale. As the successor to the SE 3120 Alouette I, the Alouette II was the first turbine-powered helicopter in the world to go into production. It was powered by a 400 hp Turbomeca Artouste I turbo-shaft engine and flown for the first time on March 12, 1955. 

The Alouette II was a popular aircraft and over 1,300 rotorcraft were constructed between 1956 and 1975. It was predominantly used for military observation, photography, air-sea rescue, liaison, and training. Despite its diminutive size, the Alouette II also had the capacity to carry anti-tank missiles and homing torpedoes. 

For civilian use, Alouettes were used for casualty evacuation, crop-spraying, and as a flying crane. 

The Canadian Department of Transport received the first SA-316B Alouette II in 1966. It, along with two others, were used in Quebec City to maintain maritime navigation aids. These three Alouettes were then later transferred to the Pacific Coast to support remote lighthouses along the Mackenzie River and Western Arctic, NWT. 

OUR AIRCRAFT

The Hangar's Sud SA-318C Alouette II (C-FTQD), was built in 1969 and had its maiden flight at Marignane, France. Throughout the decades it was used by several Canadian companies, such as United Helicopters Ltd., Canwest Aviation Ltd., Quasar Aviation Ltd., and Heli Voyageur Ltee. C-FTQD was used primarily for civilian transport and fighting against forest fires. One of the last companies it flew with was South-West Helicopters of Lethbridge, Alberta. In 1989, C-FTQD's temporary registration certificate was cancelled when it crashed into water in northern Alberta while lifting off a Bambi Bucket in an attempt to deliver water for aerial firefighting. 

The remains of the aircraft was acquired by Eagle Copters Ltd. of Calgary, Alberta who later donated the aircraft to The Hangar. Eagle Copters are fantastic neighbours to The Hangar and are part of the local aviation network and community. 

FAST FACTS

• Alouette II first flew on March 12, 1955. 
• Over 1,400 units were built before production ceased in the 1970s. 
• The key feature of the Alouette II was its powerful Turbomeca Artouste IIA turboshaft engine, which provided a maximum output of around 500 shaft horsepower. 

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Rotor area of 27.4m2 or 295ft2 
• Height of 3 metres (9ft 1in)
• Length of 9.98 metres (38ft 9in)
• Maximum speed of 200 km/h (124 mph)
• Range of 600km (373 miles)