The Sud-Ouest Ariel is a French two-seat light

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attribut ...

designed and built by Sud-Ouest. The helicopter rotors were driven by compressed-air jets at the end of each blade.

Design and development

The S.O.1100 Ariel I was first flown in 1947, it was a light all-metal helicopter with an enclosed two-seat cabin. Power was provided by a Mathis G8 engine which drove a

Turbomeca Safran Helicopter Engines, previously known as Turbomeca, is a French manufacturer of low- and medium-power gas turbine turboshaft engines for helicopters. The company also produces gas turbine engines for aircraft and missiles, as well as turbin ...

compressor. The low-pressure air output from the compressor was ducted to each of the three rotor blades to the ends of each blade. At the tip of each blade was a combustion chamber where the air was mixed with fuel and ignited. The Ariel had a short tail boom with twin vertical tail surfaces. On 23 March 1949. an improved S.O.1110 Ariel II was flown, it was a similar configuration to the Ariel I was had revised tail surfaces.Apostolo 1984, p. 94. The final variant was the S.O.1120 Ariel III which had a combined Turbomeca Arrius turbine-compressor rather than the two units of the earlier aircraft. With the space made from the power changes an extra seat was fitted. Another difference was the tail unit, the Ariel II had a single fin and rudder and used jet efflux from the turbine to provide directional control, a directional vane linked to the rudder directed the efflux.

Operational history

The Ariel was not put into production but the knowledge gained was used in the development of the

Sud-Ouest Djinn The Sud-Ouest SO.1221 Djinn (alternatively written S.O.1221) is a French two-seat light helicopter designed and manufactured by aircraft manufacturer Sud-Ouest (SNCASO), which was later merged into Sud Aviation. It was the first production French ...

.Orbis 1985, p. 2975.

Variants

;S.O.1100 Ariel I :Two-seat experimental tip-jet helicopter with a piston engine-powered compressor. ;S.O.1110 Ariel II :Improved variant with revised tail surfaces. ;S.O.1120 Ariel III :Improved three-seat variant with a combined turbine-compressor.

Specifications (Ariel II)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Apostolo, Giorgio. ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Helicopters''. New York: Bonanza Books, 1984. . * Taylor, John W. R. and Jean Alexander. ''Combat Aircraft of the World.'' New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. .

External links

{{SNCASO aircraft 1940s French experimental aircraft 1940s French helicopters

Ariel Ariel may refer to: Film and television *Ariel Award, a Mexican Academy of Film award * ''Ariel'' (film), a 1988 Finnish film by Aki Kaurismäki * ''ARIEL Visual'' and ''ARIEL Deluxe'', 1989 and 1991 anime video series based on the novel series ...

Single-engined piston helicopters