The ''Société des Ateliers d'Aviation Louis Bréguet'' also known as Bréguet Aviation was a French

aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines ...

manufacturer. The company was set up in 1911 by the aviation pioneer

Louis Charles Breguet Louis Charles Breguet (2 January 1880 in Paris – 4 May 1955 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Île-de-France) was a French aircraft designer and builder, one of the early aviation pioneers. Biography Louis Charles Breguet was the grandson of L ...

. Bréguet Aviation was extremely active during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, producing numerous military aircraft, such as the pioneering metal

Bréguet 14 The Bréguet XIV (in contemporary practice) or Bréguet 14 was a French biplane bomber and reconnaissance aircraft of World War I. It was built in very large numbers and production continued for many years after the end of the war. The Brégue ...

day-bomber, for the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

. During the

interwar In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the First World War to the beginning of the Second World War. The interwar period was relativel ...

period, the firm's aircraft set several records for non-stop crossings of the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

, as well as with the unconventional

Bréguet-Dorand Gyroplane Laboratoire The Gyroplane Laboratoire was an early helicopter. Its designer, Frenchman Louis Bréguet, had already experimented with rotorcraft in 1909; however, he chose to concentrate on airplanes until the end of the 1920s. In 1929 he announced a set of p ...

. It was active during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, surviving the conflict and largely focusing on commercial transport aircraft during the

postwar In Western usage, the phrase post-war era (or postwar era) usually refers to the time since the end of World War II. More broadly, a post-war period (or postwar period) is the interval immediately following the end of a war. A post-war period ...

years. Its most notable military programmes during the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

include the

Bréguet 1150 Atlantic The Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic is a long-range maritime patrol aircraft designed and manufactured by French aircraft manufacturer Breguet Aviation. Designed in response to a 1958 NATO specification as a replacement for the Lockheed P2V Neptune, Br ...

and the

SEPECAT Jaguar The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet attack aircraft originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Air Force in the close air support and nuclear strike role. It is still in service with the Indian Air Force. Originall ...

. During 1971, Bréguet Aviation merged with

Dassault Dassault Group (; also GIM Dassault or Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault SAS) is a French group of companies established in 1929 with the creation of Société des Avions Marcel Bloch (now Dassault Aviation) by Marcel Dassault, and led by son Ser ...

to form ''Avions Marcel Dassault-Bréguet Aviation'', which was subsequently rebranded as ''Dassault Aviation.

History

The company was founded during 1911 by

Louis-Charles Breguet Louis Charles Breguet (2 January 1880 in Paris – 4 May 1955 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Île-de-France) was a French aircraft designer and builder, one of the early aviation pioneers. Biography Louis Charles Breguet was the grandson of Lo ...

, an early French airplane designer and builder, and his brother, Jacques. That same year, Bréguet's first airplane established a new speed record during a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) flight. In 1912, Bréguet constructed his first

seaplane A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tec ...

. During the

, the company produced a range of military-orientated aircraft to assist the French war effort. In particular, it developed capable reconnaissance aircraft that saw used not only during the conflict but long into the 1920s as well. During this time, Bréguet Aviation also played a pioneering role in the development of metal aircraft, such as the

day-bomber (almost entirely made of

aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It has ...

), which was one of the most famous French combat aircraft of its era. The Bréguet-14's performance was such it was not only procured by the French military, but also exported to the fill the ranks of sixteen squadrons of the

American Expeditionary Force The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought alon ...

. Unable to meet wartime demands for its designs itself, production agreements were made with other firms to produce its aircraft as well. Between 1917 and 1919, just under 2,000 Bréguet-designed aircraft were license-produced by the aviation interest of French industrial conglomerate

Michelin Michelin (; ; full name: ) is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes ''région'' of France. It is the second largest tyre manufacturer in the world behind Bridgestone and la ...

During the

period, Bréguet-built aircraft set several records; one plane performed the first non-stop crossing of the

South Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

in 1927, while another made a 4,500-mile (7,242-kilometer) flight across the

during 1933, which was the longest non-stop Atlantic flight up to that time. During the 1930s, the firm developed the unconventional

, which flew by a combination of blade flapping and

feathering Feathering is a technique used in computer graphics software to smooth or blur the edges of a feature. The term is inherited from a technique of fine retouching using fine feathers. Paintbrush feathering Feathering is most commonly used on a ...

. on 22 December 1935, this aircraft established a

Federation Aeronautique Internationale A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-govern ...

speed record of 67 miles per hour (108 kilometers per hour), while the type also set an altitude record of 517 feet (158 meters) during the following year. Bréguet was engaged in the rearmament efforts during the late 1930s, producing numerous military aircraft in the run-up to and during the

. After resuming normal operations in the immediate

climate, the company largely focused on the development of commercial transports and other large aircraft designs. On 4 May 1955, the company's founder, Louis-Charles Bréguet, died in Paris, France. In response to a

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

specification for a long-range maritime patrol aircraft to replace the

Lockheed P2V Neptune The Lockheed P-2 Neptune (designated P2V by the United States Navy prior to September 1962) is a maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft. It was developed for the US Navy by Lockheed to replace the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura and P ...

, Bréguet submitted its own design, the ''Br 1150'', which was chosen as the winner in late 1958. Accordingly, a multinational consortium, ''Société d'Étude et de Construction de Bréguet Atlantic'' (SECBAT) was set up to develop and build this aircraft, which was named the 1150 Atlantic.''Air International'' November 1981, pp. 218, 252. An initial order for 60 Atlantics 40 for France and 20 for Germany was placed in 1963; deliveries of the Atlantic commenced during 1965. The production line was reactivated following further orders from the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

; this second production batch made its deliveries between 1972 and 1974.''Air International'' November 1981, pp. 252–253. During 1978, the French Government authorised development of an updated version of the Atlantic, the ''Atlantic Nouvelle Génération'' or ''Atlantique 2'', which involved little change to either airframe and engines while equipment and avionics were extensively revised.''Air International'' November 1981, pp. 216–218. Deliveries started in 1989 with 28 eventually built, from an original requirement for 42.Lambert 1993, pp. 81–82. Atlantic_-_RIAT_2006_(2457788396)

During the 1960s, Bréguet Aviation became involved in the multinational

joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acces ...

company SEPECAT (''Société Européenne de Production de l'Avion d'École de Combat et d'Appui Tactique'' – the "European company for the production of a combat trainer and tactical support aircraft"Wagner 2009, p. 122.) together with the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) to produce the

Jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...

strike aircraft. Though based in part on the Breguet Br.121, using the same basic configuration and an innovative French-designed landing gear, the Jaguar was built incorporating major elements of design from BAC – notably the wing and high lift devices.Jackson 1992, pp. 58, 71. Production of components was split between Breguet and BAC, while the aircraft themselves would be assembled on two production lines; one in the UK and one in France, To avoid any duplication of work, each aircraft component had only one source.''Flight'' 16 October 1969, p. 600. Reportedly, collaboration between BAC and Breguet went relatively well.Jackson 1992, p. 58. However, following Dassault's takeover of Breguet during 1971, the firm encouraged acceptance of its own designs, such as the

Super Étendard Super may refer to: Computing * SUPER (computer program), or Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer, a video converter / player * Super (computer science), a keyword in object-oriented programming languages * Super key (keyboard butto ...

naval attack aircraft and the

Mirage F1 The Dassault Mirage F1 is a French fighter and attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was developed as a successor to the popular Mirage III family. During the 1960s, Dassault commenced development of what would ...

interceptor, for which the newly-combined company would receive more workshare and profit, over the Jaguar.Wallace 1984, p. 27.Jackson 1992, p. 77.

Aircraft

* Bréguet-Richet Gyroplane (1907) - experimental single-seat helicopter-like craft with four rotors. *Bréguet-Richet Gyroplane No.2 (1908) Tandem biplane with a pair of large inclined propellers providing both thrust and lift. * Bréguet Type I (1909) - Single-seat

tractor configuration In aviation, the term tractor configuration refers to an aircraft constructed in the standard configuration with its engine mounted with the propeller in front of it so that the aircraft is "pulled" through the air. Oppositely, the pusher c ...

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

with boxkite-like tail on booms. * Bréguet Type II (1910) - Development of the Type I, with a tricycle undercarriage and the tail carried at the end of a fuselage-like structure and a pair of booms. * Bréguet Type III (1910) - Development of Type II, three-seat, rotary engine * Bréguet Type IV (1911) - Experimental aircraft Avion biplan Breguet 1911

* Bréguet Type R.U1 (1911) - Single-engine biplane * Bréguet Aerhydroplane (1913) - Single-engine one-seat seaplane. Did not fly * Bréguet 4 (1914) - Single-engine two-seat biplane bomber. Pusher configuration * Bréguet 5 (1915) - Single-engine two-seat biplane escort fighter. Variant of Bre.4 * Bréguet 6 (1915) - Version of Bréguet 5 with different engine * Bréguet 12 (1918) - Version of Bréguet 5 with 37mm cannon and searchlight (night fighter) *

(1916) - Single-engine two-seat biplane bomber aircraft * Bréguet 16 (1918) - Larger version of Bréguet 14. Bomber aircraft *

Bréguet 17 The Bréguet 17 was a two-seat biplane fighter developed in France towards the end of World War I and operated by that country during the 1920s. Design and development The Bréguet 17 was a derivative of the highly successful 14 bomber, but so ...

(1918) - Smaller version of Bréguet 14. Fighter aircraft. *

Bréguet 19 The Breguet 19 (Breguet XIX, Br.19 or Bre.19) was a sesquiplane bomber and reconnaissance aircraft which was also used for long-distance flights and was designed by the French Breguet company and produced from 1924. Development The Breguet 1 ...

(1922) - Single-engine two-seat biplane reconnaissance/light bomber/sport aircraft * Bréguet 20 Leviathan (1922) - Twin/four-engine 20-seat airliner * Bréguet 22 (1922-3) - Bréguet 20 development * Bréguet 26T (1926) - Single-engine biplane eight-passenger airliner * Bréguet 280T (1928) - Development of 26T with improved fuselage aerodynamics *License built Short S.8 Calcutta (1928) - Three-engine fifteen-seat biplane transport aircraft * Bréguet 27 (1929) - Single-engine two-seat biplane reconnaissance aircraft * Bréguet 270 (1929) - Development of 27 using steel chassis * Bréguet 393T (1931) - Three-engine biplane airliner * Bréguet 410 - Twin-engine light bomber *

(1935) - Helicopter prototype *

Bréguet G.111 The Bréguet G.111 or alternatively, G.11E was a French passenger coaxial rotors helicopter flown soon after World War II. Only one was built, development ceasing when funding ran out. Design and development Louis Bréguet designed his first he ...

(1949) - coaxial helicopter prototype * Bréguet 460 Vultur - Twin-engine light bomber * Bréguet 470 Fulgur (1936) - Twin-engine airliner, only one unit built. * Bréguet 480 - Long-range bomber project * Bréguet 482 (1947) - Four-engine bomber, designed prior to war, only a single unit built * Bréguet 500 Colmar - Transport development of the Br.480 *

Bréguet 521 Bizerte The Bréguet 521 ''Bizerte'' was a long-range military Aerial reconnaissance, reconnaissance flying boat built by the France, French aviation company Breguet Aviation, Breguet. Development A biplane of all-metal construction, with three engines ...

(1933) - Development of the S.8 Calcutta. Long-range patrol flying boat * Bréguet 530 Saigon - Civilian version of 521 * Bréguet 693 (1938) - Twin-engine two-seat monoplane ground attack/fighter aircraft * Bréguet 730 (1938) - Four-engine long-range flying boat. Piston engines. Also Br.731 * Bréguet 763 Deux-Ponts (1949) - Br.761/763/765 Four-engine double-deck large airliner. Piston engines. * Bréguet 790 Nautilus - Single-engine flying boat * Bréguet 890 Mercure - Civil/military transport * Bréguet Br 900 Louisette - (1948) Single-seat competition sailplane. * Bréguet Br 901 Mouette - (1954) Single-seat competition sailplane. * Bréguet Br 904 Nymphale - (1956) Two-seat sailplane. * Bréguet Br 905 Fauvette - (1958) Single-seat competition sailplane. * Bréguet 940 - Four-engine

STOL A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a conventional fixed-wing aircraft that has short runway requirements for takeoff and landing. Many STOL-designed aircraft also feature various arrangements for use on airstrips with harsh conditio ...

transport aircraft. Turboprop engines *

Bréguet 941 The Breguet 941 was a French four-engine turboprop short takeoff and landing (STOL) transport aircraft developed by Breguet in the 1960s. Although widely promoted, both by Breguet in France and by McDonnell Aircraft and McDonnell Douglas in the ...

(1961) - Four-engine

transport aircraft. Turboprop engines * Bréguet 960 Vultur (1951) - Br.960 Twin-engine two-seat naval anti-submarine aircraft. Jet engine and turboprop engine (mixed power) * Bréguet 1001 Taon (1957) - Br.1001 Single-engine single-seat jet strike aircraft. *

Bréguet 1050 Alizé The Bréguet Br.1050 Alizé (French: "Tradewind") is a French carrier-based anti-submarine warfare aircraft. It was developed in the 1950s, based loosely on the second prototype Bréguet Vultur attack aircraft which had been modified into the ...

(1956) - Br.1050 Single-engine three-seat naval anti-submarine aircraft. Turboprop engine Breguet 1100 fighter on the ground c1958

* Bréguet 1100 (1957) - Twin-engine jet fighter *

(1961) - Br.1150 Twin-engine naval reconnaissance aircraft. Turboprop engines

Leduc aircraft

Leduc 0.10 The Leduc 0.10 was a research aircraft built in France, one of the world's first aircraft to fly powered solely by a ramjet. Design and development Designed by René Leduc in 1938, it was built at the Breguet Aviation factory after a protracted, ...

* Leduc 0.21 * Leduc 0.22

Automobile production

Before 1914, in addition to producing aircraft, the firm produced a few six cylinder-engined cars. During the

, the company produced an electric car powered by batteries and propelled by an "off-the-shelf" motor from Paris-Rhône. The motor was capable of producing two different levels of output. "First gear" and "Reverse gear" were provided with 36 volts while "Second gear" equated to 72 volts. An advertisement for the car in 1941 claimed a range of between charges without mentioning that this range was only available when adhering to a steady cruising speed of 20 km/h (12 mph). Cruising at a steady 40 km/h (25 mph) would, on the same basis, have given a range of . The car had a modern looking all-enveloping two-seater body with a relatively long tapered tail which contained the motor and some of the batteries. It had four wheels but the rear axle which delivered power to the road was relatively narrow. The car was actively marketed during 1941 which was a period of price instability. In August 1941 the Bréguet electric car was priced at 56,000 francs: during the same month the Citroën Light bodied 11 (still listed despite production by now being down to a trickle or suspended) was priced at 35,630 francs. The Bréguet electric car was produced not at the firm's principal plant at

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...

but at a smaller plant at Anglet (between

Biarritz Biarritz ( , , , ; Basque also ; oc, Biàrritz ) is a city on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the French Basque Country in southwestern France. It is located from the border with Spain. ...

and

Bayonne Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine re ...

References

Citations

Bibliography

* Bowman, Martin W. ''SEPECAT Jaguar.'' London: Pen and Sword Books, 2007. . * Elvert, Jürgen. Sylvain Schirmann, Peter Lang. ''Changing Times: Germany in 20th-Century Europe'', Peter Lang, 2008. . * Jackson, Paul. "SEPECAT Jaguar". ''World Air Power Journal''. Volume 11, Winter 1992, pp. 52–111. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1992. . ISSN 0959-7050. * Lambert, Mark. (editor). ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993–94''. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Data Division, 1993. . * "The New Generation Atlantics". ''

Air International ''AIR International'' is a British aviation magazine covering current defence aerospace and civil aviation topics. It has been in publication since 1971 and is currently published by Key Publishing Ltd. History and profile The magazine was fir ...

'', November 1981, Vol. 21 No. 5. pp. 213–218, 252–253. * Wagner, Paul J
''Air Force Tac Recce Aircraft: NATO and Non-aligned Western European Air Force Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft of the Cold War.''
Pittsburgh, PA: Dorrance Publishing, 2009. . * Wallace, William. ''Britain's Bilateral Links Within Western Europe.'' London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1984. .

''

Flight International ''Flight International'' is a monthly magazine focused on aerospace. Published in the United Kingdom and founded in 1909 as "A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport", it is the world's oldes ...

'' via ''flightglobal.com,'' 12 September 1968, p. 391.

External links

Dassault Aviation

Association of the Friends of Bréguet Aviation
{{Authority control Defunct aircraft manufacturers of France Manufacturing companies established in 1911 Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1971 Defunct helicopter manufacturers * French companies established in 1911 1971 disestablishments in France