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| A Netherlands Air Force SA 316B Alouette III during '100th Anniversary of Dutch Military Aviation' airshow | |
| Role | Light utility helicopter |
|---|---|
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Sud Aviation Aérospatiale |
| First flight | 28 February 1959 |
| Introduction | 1960 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary users | French Armed Forces Indian Armed Forces Portuguese Air Force (historical) South African Air Force (historical) |
| Produced | 1961–1985(HAL Chetak production stopped 2021) |
| Number built | 2,000+ |
| Developed from | Aérospatiale Alouette II |
| Variants | IAR 316 |
| Developed into | Aérospatiale Gazelle Atlas XH-1 Alpha |
The Aérospatiale Alouette III (French pronunciation: [aloo-wɛt], Lark; company designations SA 316 and SA 319) is a single-engine, light utility helicopter developed by French aircraft company Sud Aviation. During its production life, it proved to be a relatively popular rotorcraft; including multiple licensed manufacturers, more than 2,000 units were built.
On 28 February 1959, the first prototype SE 3160 performed its maiden flight, piloted by French aviator Jean Boulet.[8][9] Shortly thereafter, the SE 3160 would become more commonly known as the Alouette III. During its flight test programme, the prototype demonstrated its high altitude capabilities on several occasions; in June 1959, it landed at an altitude of over 4,000 metres in the Mont Blanc mountain range and, during October 1960, it was able to achieve the same feat at an altitude more than 6,000 metres in the Himalayas. During these attempts, it was flown by Jean Boulet, who was accompanied by a pair of passengers and 250 kg of equipment
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The Alouette III has its origins with an earlier helicopter design by French aircraft manufacturer Sud-Est, the SE 3120 Alouette, which, while breaking several helicopter speed and distance records in July 1953.
the first production version. Sometimes retroactively redesignated SA 3160 or SA 316A
It had been produced from 1961 to 1985 in France, however, license production continued.
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