Sud Aviation SE3160 Alouette III

From Scramble - The Aviation Magazine

Alouette III

Description
Role	General purpose helicopter
Crew	1 pilot
First Flight	28 February 1959
Entered Service	1961
Number built	1437 in France. 280+ in India ca 230 in Romania 60 in Switzerland
Manufacturer	Sud Aviation Aérospatiale Hindustan IAR Brasov F+W Emmen Lichtwerk (assemblage)
Dimensions
Length	10.03 m	32 ft 11 in
Rotordiameter	11.02 m	36 ft 2 in
Height	3 m	9 ft 10 in
Weights (SE3160 & SA316B)
Empty	1122 kg	2474 lb
Maximum takeoff weight	2200 kg	4850 lb
Capacity	6 passengers
Powerplant (SE3160 & SA316B)
Engines	one Artouste IIIB
Power	425 kW	570 hp
Performance (SE3160 & SA316B)
Maximum speed	210 km/h	113 mph
Operational range	480 km	260 miles
Service ceiling	3250 m	10662 ft
Rate of climb	180 m/min	590 ft/min

History

After the successful Sud Est SE3130 Alouette II, Sud Est started developing a larger version, retaining the engine, turboshaft and rotor but with a larger, completely enclosed, cabin.

The first flight of the new model was made at the test facility of Sud Aviation at Le Bourget airfield near Paris on 28 February 1959 (Sud Est merged with Sud Ouest on 1 March 1957 becoming Sud Aviation).
(Noteworthy is that despite the merger, the type still received a Sud Est "SE"-designation; SE3160, which was only corrected in 1969 with the introduction of the SA316B model).

Versions

Sud Aviation build

SE3160 - Redesigned Alouette II with fully closed, all metal semi-monocoque fuselage and a fixed tricycle undercarriage.
SA316B - Improved SE3160, strengthened transmission resulting in a greater maximum takeoff weight. No external differences. Superseded the SE3160 as the basic version from 1968.
SA316C - SA316B powered by an uprated Artouste IIID turbo-shaft engine (660shp). Only build in small numbers.
SA3164 - Attack helicopter development with a stepped windshield, a nose mounted 20mm cannon and external missile points. Only one prototype build which first flew on 24 June 1964.
SA319 - SA316 fitted with a new engine, the Astazou XIV (450kW/600shp), resulting in better hot-and-high and improved fuel economy. The prototype (designated SA319-01) first flew on 10 July 1967 and was again registered F-ZWVQ.
SA319B - "Alouette III Astazou". Production version of the SA319. Production started in 1968, parallel to the SA316B production.

Licence build

SE3160S - "Alouette IIIS". SE3160 build by F+W Emmen (Switzerland).
HSA316B - "Chetak". SA316B licence build by Hindustan in India.
IAR-316B - SA316B build by IAR Brasov in Romania.
IAR-317 - "Airfox". Light attack development of the IAR-316B. Only one prototype built, displayed at Le Bourget 1985

Conversions

The Atlas Alpha XH-1 proof of concept demonstrator

Alpha XH-1 - Two seat concept demonstrator for the Rooivalk attack helicopter, converted by Atlas Aviation (now Denel Aviation).
G-Car - Helicopter gunship version for the Rhodesian Air Force, armed with two side-mounted Browning machine guns.
K-Car - Helicopter gunship version for the Rhodesian Air Force, armed with one 20mm Mauser cannon, fitted inside the cabin, firing from the port side of the helicopter.