NewsIn fact, this is a small helicopter used by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the annual Republic Day parade held in New Delhi in the 1970s.
This helicopter is essentially an IAF SA 316B Alouette III / HAL Chetak, but designed to look like an elephant. What's interesting is that this modified helicopter was a handmade product by a tailor, and the elephant's body including the trunk and legs were all made from various colorful cloth pieces. These cloth pieces were carefully sewn together over a period of two or three weeks.
There are many sources indicating that these elephant-shaped aircraft officially appeared in India in 1977, but there are also many opinions that it appeared earlier. However, to trace the origin of these "flying elephants," we need to go back to India in 1969.
That year, India began building and developing licensed versions of the famous French Aérospatiale Alouette III helicopter. HAL manufactured this aircraft, which was given the name Chetak, after the warhorse of Maharana Pratap, a 16th-century ruler. The name symbolizes dedication, bravery, and resistance to occupation.
By modern standards, Chetak is the best lightweight utility helicopter. But at the time, it was an impressive machine. Over 300 of them were built - not including the original French Alouette III that India purchased - mostly for the Indian Air Force (IAF), and only in the 2010s did the force begin to consider replacing them. This aircraft has become an icon in India after participating in many local conflicts.
Chetak's rise to fame did not occur until the 1970s when it was featured at the annual Republic Day parade in New Delhi.
On January 26th, soldiers marched along Rajpath Avenue, tanks roared, and trucks carried performers who displayed all kinds of impressive stunts. However, this did not really capture the audience's attention, and it was not until a strange airplane appeared that the public became interested and truly excited - A plane that resembles an elephant.
It was one of the helicopters of IAF Helicopter Unit No. 116. According to some sources, the entire aircraft body was covered in brightly decorated woven fabric, complete with four hollow legs, two ears, a pair of tusks, and a massive body.
The airplane created a sensation among the crowd at the time. Elephants are one of India's national animals and a powerful symbol of strength, and the fact that helicopters were transformed into elephants was something that was highly admired by the people of India at that time - even though these "flying elephants" could only fly slowly in a straight line.
