CELAG's Aircrafts
First Period : 1948 to 1954


Home | Patrimony | Rotorcrafts | Engines | Treasures | Helicopter restoration


CELAG's collection currently comprises 17 machines representing 10 different types of helicopters.

The Veterans : the reign of the piston engine

Until the middle of the Fifties, the star air colled piston engine was almost the only mode of motorization of helicopters. Currently only some small machines like Robinson R22 or Hughes 300 still uses piston engines.

CELAG has in its hangar 4 models representative of this time.

SIKORSKY H-19 / S-55 "Elephant Joyeux"

PhotoThe H-19 s/n 55957 is one of the 4 remaining machine of this kind preserved in France. Build in the USA, it was receipted in France on 29 March 1956. Used by the Armée de l'Air (French air Force) from 22 May 1956, it was damaged on 29 June 1959. From 29 July 1959, it was used by the ALAT until its retirement on 08 March 1971. It ended its career on display, first at the 60th Infantry Battalion of Lons-le-Saulnier, then at the 3rd Combat Helicopter Battalion of Verdun.

Acquired by the CELAG in 1981, it never has been restored yet. Particularly degraded by a long exposure to bad weather, it will never be given in a position to function. Its restoration, which will
include the repair of the engine doors, the installation of the tail rotor, the repair of the cockpit, and a serious stripping, should be done in the near furture.

Our S-55 in photos
H-19 - history and technique

SIKORSKY H-34 / S-58 "Mammouth"

PhotoThe H-34 of the CELAG have the serial number SA-177. It was built under licence by Sud Aviation and delivered to the Armée de l'Air on August, 1st 1962. Posted to the 23th helicopter squadron of Saint-Dizier (France), it was transferred to the EH 3/67 at Villacoublay (France) during the end of 1964. After a long time of maintenance from September,16th 1965 to February, 28th 1966, it was posted to the EH 2/67 of Saint-Dizier, with the 67-VR registration, until its retirement at the beginning of 1971.

Exhibited in the school yard of the Air Force Orphan school of Grenoble from 1975, it was seriously damaged. Acquired by the CELAG at the beginning of 1978, and restored before being lent for an exhibition on 1981, it was immobilised, due to the theft of its special transportation landing gear, and was damaged. It came back to the CELAG on 1985. On 1994, it was restored as the HSS-1 of the Marine Nationale (French Navy). This second restoration, which lasted two months, consisted of a reconditioning of the structure, without intervention on the electric and hydraulic parts. After a transport accident in 1997, the main rotor has being changed, and the cockpit rebuild. Today, it is definitively inapt for flight, but the engine could function after a general revision and the repair of electric and hydraulic circuits.

Our S-58 in photos
H-34 - history and technique

PIASECKI H-21 "Banane Volante"

PhotoCELAG owns one of the eleven types of H-21 known in France. This aircraft s/n FR41 coded ARB was used in Algeria, from April 1957 to October 1962, at the GH2 (Sétif). After the war, brought back to Metropolitan France, it was affected successively with the ESALAT, the GALAT 15 and finally with the 3rd GALAT. It was retired on March 25, 1970 with 2713 hours of flight.

It arrived at CELAG in 1981, after having being used as a target for a long time. Its status makes it difficult to restore with the own funds of the association. Its restoration however began in 1995 by filling structural holes. Many parts are lacking, like the doors, the blades, and the cockpit equipment. So we decided to convert it into a video projection room, in a reversible way, to add to our potential a pedagogic and mediatic mean. This action was possible thanks to the generosity of the Grenoble bus.

Our H-21 in photos
H-21 - history and technique

MIL MI-1 "Hare"

PhotoThe Mil Mi-1 arrived to Grenoble in December 1998. This machine is property of the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace du Bourget (French Air and Space Museum) that confided it to the CELAG for restoration and exhibition, thanks to the action of the Fédération Française des Ailes Anciennes (French federation of old planes restoration and preservation). The aquisition and transport in France of this aircraft were possible thanks to Mr. PONT of Savigny-les-Beaunes. Its serial number is 403009 and it comes from Czechoslovakia. It is almost complete, in good general condition, and the principal difficulties will be to find instruments and technical documentation. It will be restored in Soviet marking and colors.
Our Mi-1 in photos
Mi-1 - history and technique

The Alouette : the real begining of turboshaft engine (2nd period)

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