Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama
| SA 315B Lama | |
|---|---|
| |
| A 1982-built SA 315B Lama | |
| Role | General Purpose Helicopter |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Aérospatiale |
| First flight | 1969 |
| Developed from | Aérospatiale Alouette II |
The Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama is a French single-engined helicopter developed to meet hot and high operational requirements of the Indian Armed Forces. It combines the lighter Alouette II airframe with Alouette III components and powerplant. The helicopter was licence built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in India as the Cheetah.
An upgraded variant using the Turbomeca TM 333-2M2 engine is known as the HAL Cheetal.
Design and development
Originally designed to meet an Indian armed forces requirement for operation in hot and high conditions, the Lama combines the Artouste powerplant and rotor system of the Alouette III with a reinforced Alouette II airframe. First flown on 17 March 1969, the SA 315B received its French airworthiness certificate in 1970 and was introduced as the Lama in July 1971.
As with the Alouette series, the Lama can be fitted for various roles, such as light passenger transport or agricultural tasks. The military variants include liaison, observation, photography, air/sea rescue, transport and ambulance duties. The SA315B is particularly suited to mountainous areas due to its performance and can carry underslung loads of up to 1000 kg (2,205 lb).
In 2006-7, HAL proposed a variant known as the HAL Cheetal with an updated Turbomeca TM 333-2M2 engine for Indian Army operations on the Siachen Glacier. An order for 20 units was received from the Army in early 2010.[1]
Operational history
The Lama was designed specifically for high-altitude performance and during demonstration flights in the Himalayas during 1969, an SA315B carrying a crew of two and 120 kg of fuel landed and took off at the highest altitude then recorded, 7,500 m (24,605 ft). On 21 June 1972 a Lama with a single pilot (Jean Boulet) aboard established a helicopter absolute altitude record of 12,442 m (40,814 ft), immediately followed by an inadvertent record for the longest ever autorotation when the engine flamed out at the peak altitude of the flight.[2][3]
With a performance proven by the records the helicopter was ordered by the Indian military and licence to produce the SA315B in Bangalore, India was granted to HAL in 1971. The first Indian-assembled SA315B flew on 6 October 1972, with deliveries starting in December 1973. The HAL variant was known as the Cheetah. In 1978, agreement was reached with Helibras of Brazil for assembly of the Lama in Brazil. Given the name Gavião, the Brazilian variant was exported to Bolivia.
Variants
- SA 315B Lama
- Derived from the SE 3150, it was designed for high altitude operations using a 650kW (870shp) Turboméca Astazou IIIB turboshaft, derated to 410kW (550shp). This derivative still holds the absolute altitude record for all types of helicopters since 1972: 12,442 m.
- HAL Cheetah
- Indian licence built version of the SA 315B Lama.
- HAL Lancer
- Modified and updated version of Cheetah for Counter Insurgency and light attack purpose, specially in high altitudes.
- HB 315B Gaviao
- Brazilian licence built version of the SA 315B Lama.
- HAL Cheetal
- 2009 version with Turbomeca TM333-2M2[4]
Operators
- People's Air and Air Defence Force of Angola - 2 Lama in service.[5]
- Argentine Air Force
- Argentine Army
- Argentine National Gendarmerie
- Since 1978 [8] Last one to be retired soon and replaced by AS350 Ecureuils
- Chilean Army
- Regimiento de Aviación Nº1, Batallón de Exploración y Reconocimiento[11] - Retired
- Chilean Air Force
- Grupo de Aviación N°2, Fuerza Aérea de Chile - Retired.
- Ecuadorian Air Force - Former operator.
- Ecuadorian Army
- Air Force of El Salvador - Former operator.
- Agrolentopalvelun
- National Gendarmerie - Former operator, one helicopter only.
- Guatemalan Air Force - Former operator.
- Indian Air Force[14]
- 17 Wing, 114HU
- 28 Wing, 131FAC Flt
- 39 Wing, 132FAC Flt
- HTS
- total of 24 Cheetah in service.[15]
- Indian Army - 48 Cheetah in service.[15]
- GIANA Helicopter - RTI GIANA Helicopter - first LAMA operated in 1986, 4 Lama in fleet as of February 2010
- Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie Air Squadron - 3 Lama in service as of September 2007[16]
- Namibian Air Force 2 Cheetahs in service.
- Air Battalion, 11th Brigade Nepal Army (4)
- Togolese Air Force - 2 Lama in service[19]
- Total in Switzerland : 81 Lama registered
- Air Glaciers SA - 16 Lama in service as of June 2010
Specifications (SA 315B Lama)
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982–83[20]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 4 passengers or 1,135 kg (2,500 lb) slung payload
Performance
See also
Related development
Related lists
References
- ^ http://indiadefenceonline.com/1740/hal-bags-cheetal-helos-contract/
- ^ FAI Records set by SA-315B
- ^ Randall Padfield, R. (1992). "Chapter 8 Autorotation". Learning to Fly Helicopters. McGraw-Hill Professional. p. 151. ISBN 0-07-157724-6. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ India Gets 1st Batch of Indigenous Cheetal Helos, Defense News 2009-07-30, accessed 2009-08-08
- ^ Angolan military Orbat
- ^ a b Argentinian Air Force (FAA) Order of Battle
- ^ a b Argentine military OrBat
- ^ SA315B Lama in GNA
- ^ Bolivian Air Arms Aircraft Order of Battle
- ^ Bolivian Air Force Inventory
- ^ Chilean Armed Forces Aircraft Order of Battle
- ^ Ecuadorian Armed Forces Aircraft Order of Battle
- ^ Ecuadorian military OrBat
- ^ Indian Air Force Order of Battle
- ^ a b Indian military OrBat
- ^ Moroccan Order of Battle
- ^ Pakistan Armed Forces Aircraft Order of Battle
- ^ Pakistan Military Information
- ^ Togo Armed Forces Aircraft Order of Battle
- ^ Taylor 1982, pp. 50–51.
- "Airplane Magazine". 1 (5). London: Orbis Publishing Ltd. 1990: 138.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - Taylor, John W. R. (1982). Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982–83. London: Jane's Yearbooks. ISBN 0-7106-0748-2.
External links
