HKP 2 Alouette II

HKP 2 - Sud Aviation SE.3130 Alouette II (1958-1988)

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HKP 2 Alouette II - Helicopter for the Swedish Navy, Army and Air Force.

Almost 1.600 Alouette II helicopters were manufactured in France by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale and then Eurocopter..) during two decades. The first one flew in 1955. Production under license continued later in India. The Alouette II was the first helicopter design that used a gas turbine instead of a conventional heavier piston engine.

All the three military service branches in Sweden acquired the Alouette II, totally 29 helicopters. Ten of these were licence built in Sweden by SAAB in their helicopter plant at Norrköping. The Swedish designation was HKP 2. The helicopter had a crew of two and could normally carry three passengers. It had a loading capacity of 760 kg (including pilot and fuel). The engine was a Turboméca Artouste IIC, delivering 390 hp. It was given the Swedish designation TM 1.

-The Navy purchased and operated 13 (1959-1985). The first four machines were flown from France to Sweden, an adventurous flight in bad weather, but the following were built in Sweden. The HKP 2 were used for liaison, sea survey, sea rescue and training. Several Swedish naval vessels were fitted with landing platforms to accommodate the HKP 2. In close co-operation with naval ships, the Alouette was also used for anti-submarine warfare (ASW). The helicopters were based, as the HKP 1, at Berga near Stockholm and Säve near Gothenburg.

-The Army purchased and operated 12 (1959-1969). They formed two light helicopter squadrons and were based at Boden in the north of Sweden.

-The Air Force operated 11 (1959-1988). Four were purchased by the Air Force in 1959 and the remaining seven were later transferred from the Army. They were used for liaison, transport and air rescue.

The HKP 2 had a fuselage of welded steel tubing. The cockpit was surrounded by a large bubble canopy, giving the pilot sight in nearly every direction. The landing gear could be fitted with floats or two small wheels.

Photos:Top: HKP 2 # 02034 at the destroyer HMS Småland, photographed at the floating marine museum Göteborgs Maritima Centrum in Gothenburg.

Below: HKP 2 (Air Force # 02406, former Army # 02202) at Flygvapenmuseum.

Length 9,7 m. Height 2,8 m. Rotor dia. 10,2 m. MTOW 1.650 kg. Top speed 190 km/h.

For the Model Builder

Heller has made a plastic model kit of SE.313 Alouette II in scale 1:48. Kit number 80479. Decals are only provided for one single French Army helicopter. Click on the thumbnail to get a larger image.

Exra Tech has a plastic model kit in scale 1:72. Manufacturers ref. number 7201.

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MACH 2 has also a kit in scale 1:72. Reference number 2572.

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Revell had since long time a kit in the large scale 1:32. This kit of the Alouette II is now re-release and comes out in a slightly different format as an attack helicopter armed with four Nord SS-11 missiles. Decals for six different German Army markings are provded. Kit number 04478.

Updated 2013-02-28