Société nationale industrielle aérospatiale (SNIAS) was a French company, created in 1970 by the merger of the state-owned companies Sud Aviation, Nord-Aviation and Société d'études et de réalisation d'engins balistiques (SEREB). In 1984 the name was changed to Aérospatiale, société nationale industrielle.
The Alouette III (Lark) is a single-engine, light utility helicopter developed by Sud Aviation. The SE 3160 prototype version first flew on 28 February 1959 and entered production in 1961 as SA 316A. It remained in production until 1968, when it was replaced by the SA 316B. The last and 1437th Alouette III left the Marignane assembly lines in 1979, when the main production line in France was closed down.
SNIAS SA-316B Alouette III, registration M-3, built 1971, serial number 1817 Den Helder Airport (Maritiem Vliegkamp De Kooy) (DHR/EHKD), Den Helder, Netherlands, 16 September 2017
The SA 330 Puma is a four-bladed, twin-engined medium transport/utility helicopter. It was originally developed and built by Sud Aviation and continued to be built by SNIAS and Aérospatiale.
It was also license-built in Romania as the IAR 330 and in the UK by Westland Helicopters as Westland Puma. Two advanced, unlicensed derivatives, the Denel Rooivalk and Atlas Oryx, were made in South Africa.
The Puma was a commercial success and was quickly developed into more advanced models such as the AS332 Super Puma and AS532 Cougar, manufactured by Eurocopter since the early 1990s. These descendants of the Puma remain in production in the 21st century.
SNIAS SA 330 Puma HC.Mk 2, registration ZJ957, built 1976?, serial number 1474 Vliegbasis Volkel (UDE/EHVK), Uden, Netherlands, 14 June 2019 (delivery between 1 November 1975 and 6 October 1978 to South African Air Force (SAAF)) (as SAAF 169 to RAF ZJ957 in 2002) (upgrades: 330L Puma > 330E Puma HC1 > 330SM+ Puma HC2)
