Aerospatiale SA-318 Alouette 2
The Aerospatiale (Sud Aviation) SA318 Alouette II was the first helicopter in the world certified with a turbine engine instead of a heavier, less powerful piston engine, a breakthrough that reshaped light helicopter design worldwide. Its open, skeletal tail boom and simple bubble cockpit kept weight low, letting the light turbine engine deliver genuinely useful performance for mountain rescue and utility work. It set multiple altitude records for helicopters during the 1950s, showcasing the turbine engine's power-to-weight advantage over piston designs of the era. Its success established the pattern nearly every light helicopter built since has followed.
Did you know?
During the Algerian War, the Alouette II became the first helicopter in the world armed with guided anti-tank missiles, pioneering the attack-helicopter role.
Specifications
| Length | 9.7 m (32 ft) |
|---|---|
| Height | 2.8 m (9 ft) |
| Rotor diameter | 10.2 m (33 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 4 |
| Persons on board | 5 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 1.6 t |
| Range | 355 NM (657 km) |
| Service ceiling | 10,500 ft (3,200 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 13,000 ft (3,962 m) |
| Rate of climb | 820 ft/min (4.2 m/s) |
| Fuel capacity | 580 l |
| Engines | 1x Turbomeca Artouste IIC6 |
| Units built | 1,300 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
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