How many Alouette II had been sold by September 1960?

Short answer

By September 1960 the Alouette II had accumulated 598 orders from customers in 22 different countries. At the time it was also assembled by Republic in the United States and Saab in Sweden, though in both cases only a few units were built. Production ended in 1975, with more than 1,300 aircraft built.

Published: November 1, 2026 · Updated: November 1, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

How many Alouette II had been sold by September 1960?

Aérospatiale SA 318 Alouette IIYannick Bammert (CC BY), vía commons

A light utility helicopter on its way to becoming a bestseller

Between 9 and 13 June 1958, an Alouette II powered by an Artouste engine set the absolute helicopter altitude record for all categories, at 10,981 m, as well as a 9,583 m altitude record in the 1,000 to 1,750 kg category.

The September 1960 figure

By September 1960, cumulative Alouette II orders totalled 598 aircraft, spread across customers in 22 different countries. By then the helicopter was not built solely in France: Republic assembled it in the United States and Saab in Sweden, although in both cases only a few units were built.

What came next

By 1 June 1967, the total number of Alouette II on order, including those fitted with Astazou engines, had risen to 988, with 969 deliveries. By 21 May 1970 the figure had already reached 1,200 aircraft, of which 923 carried the Artouste engine and 277 the Astazou. Production ended in 1975, after more than 1,300 Alouette II had been built. The type came to be used in more than 80 countries.