Three months after its first flight in March 1955 the Alouette II proved the potential of this great design by smashing the helicopter altitude record, taking it to 8209 metres. Orders followed quickly and mass production was initiated at Marseilles/Marignane, with the first deliveries going to the Armee de l'Air in May 1956.
Eclipsing its contemporaries in performance, payload and reliability, the type gained significant civilian and military sales, including to the armed forces of Austria, Belgium Germany and Switzerland. Thanks to its exceptional performance at altitude, the British Army acquired 17 machines for use in Cyprus, Kenya and Uganda.
When production of the Alouette II ended, after more than 1,300 airframes had been completed, Sud (which later became part of Aerospatiale) concentrated on building the Lama. This married the airframe of the Alouette II with the Alouette Ill's engine and rotors. The Lama continues to be produced in India, where the type is ideal for air force operations in the Himalayas.
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