
The Société des Avions Marcel Bloch was a French
aircraft manufacturer
An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, or spacecraft. Aerospace is a high technology industry.
...
of military and civilian aircraft. It was founded by the aeronautical designer
Marcel Bloch (hence "MB" in the aircraft designations), who had previously played a major role in the
Société d'Études Aéronautiques, an early French aircraft manufacturer active largely during the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.
Following the end of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Marcel Bloch changed his name to
Marcel Dassault (as in ''char d'assault'', French for "tank") to honour the
military nickname adopted by his brother,
Darius Paul Dassault. Accordingly, the company was also rebranded as
Dassault Aviation
Dassault Aviation SA () is a French Aerospace manufacturer, manufacturer of military aircraft and business jets. It was founded in 1929 by Marcel Dassault, Marcel Bloch as Société des Avions Marcel Bloch (Marcel Bloch Aircraft Company). After ...
, becoming a prominent manufacturer of
jet-powered aircraft such as the
Dassault Mirage fighter series and the
Dassault Falcon family of business aircraft.
History
The origins of the company are closely associated with the activities of its founder, the French aeronautical designer
Marcel Bloch.
Having previously been a senior figure in the
Société d'Études Aéronautiques, an aircraft manufacturing company that produced largely numbers of aircraft for the French military during the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Bloch had considerable experience in the field prior to founding his own company; however, due to a lack of support from the French Government's aircraft manufacturing department to support the nation's manufacturers following the conflict's end and an associated downturn in aviation sales, Bloch had temporarily withdrawn from the sector during the late 1910s in favour of the
real estate business.
During 1928, the French state established a dedicated
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force and civil aviation that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the ...
, signalling that government interest in the aviation sector had returned.
In response, Bloch decided to found his own company, the ''Société des Avions Marcel Bloch'', to resume aviation activities within. A key early order for Bloch was issued by the French engineer
Albert Caquot
Albert Irénée Caquot (; 1 July 1881 – 28 November 1976) was a French engineer. He received the “Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France)” (military honor) and was Grand-croix of the Légion d’Honneur (1951). In 1962, he was awarded the Wi ...
, who sought a tri-engined aircraft suitable for
postal services.
During late 1931, the company received its first order from a French government entity.
Accordingly, manufacturing activity commenced on both the
MB.80, a single-engined aircraft orientated towards
MEDEVAC
Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to patients requiring evacuation or transport using medically equipped air ambulances, helicopters an ...
operations, and the
MB.120, a three-engined 10-passenger colonial transport aircraft, on behalf of the
French Air Force
The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air force, air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the Fr ...
. In response to rising demand for the company's produced, Marcel Bloch restructured the business, establishing separate design and manufacturing departments, while additional premises in the form of a garage in
Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer (; ; ; or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Hauts-de-France, Northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais. Boul ...
were also arranged.
During September 1932, for the purpose of manufacturing both production aircraft and future prototypes, Bloch also rented larger premises in
Courbevoie
Courbevoie () is a Communes of France, commune located in the Hauts-de-Seine department of the Île-de-France region of France. It is a suburb of Paris, from the Kilometre zero, center of Paris. The centre of Courbevoie is situated from the ci ...
.
By 1934, Marcel Bloch recognised that France's aviation industry was approaching a manufacturing crisis, having anticipating shortcomings in production capacity and capabilities.
Seeking additional capacity, Bloch reached an agreement with the aviation industrialist and past business associate
Henry Potez, who owned the largest aviation company in France at the time. During January 1935, the two men cooperated to purchase another aircraft manufacturer, the
Société Aérienne Bordelaise (SAB) which, as the
Société Aéronautique du Sud-Ouest (SASO), was responsible for manufacturing both the
MB.200 and
MB.210 bombers.
Separately, Bloch and Potez also purchased the majority of the shares of the
Société des Moteurs et Automobiles Lorraine (SMAL) company.
The 1930s was a time of considerable social upheaval in France; seeking positive relations with influential
trade union
A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...
s, Bloch engaged directly with their representatives, leading to numerous additional benefits being granted to the company's employees, such as a week's paid leave from 1935.
One year later, France's
Popular Front-led government issued a policy permitting two weeks’ paid holidays per year; in response, Bloch employees were given three weeks paid holiday per year. On 17 July 1936, the French government issued a new law that
nationalised
Nationalization (nationalisation in British English)
is the process of transforming privately owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization contrasts with ...
the nation's armament industry; this development heavily impacted for private aircraft companies as many were forcibly acquired and merged.
That year saw the creation of seven nationalised aeronautical manufacturing companies: six for aircraft (
SNCASE
SNCASE (abbreviated from ''Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques du Sud-Est'') or Sud-Est was a French aircraft manufacturer. The company was formed on February 1, 1937, by the nationalization and merger of Lioré et Olivier, Pote ...
, SNCASO,
SNCAN,
SNCAO
SNCAO (abbreviated from ''Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques de l'ouest'') was a state-owned French aircraft manufacturer, which originated on November 16, 1936, from the merger of the factories of Breguet in Bouguenais, an ...
,
SNCAM
Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques du Midi (abbreviated SNCAM) was a state-owned French aircraft manufacturer. The company was formed following the resolution of the 1936 general strike of French heavy industry, when the govern ...
,
SNCAC
SNCAC (the ', sometimes known as ) was a French aircraft manufacturer. SNCAC was created by the nationalisation of the Farman Aviation Works and Hanriot firms in 1936.
The company had a manufacturing facility in Boulogne-Billancourt which was ...
), and one for aircraft engines (
SNCM -
Lorraine-Dietrich
Lorraine-Dietrich was a French language, French automobile and aircraft engine manufacturer from 1896 until 1935, created when railway locomotive manufacturer ''Société Lorraine des Anciens Etablissements de Dietrich et Cie de Lunéville'' (k ...
).
On 16 January 1937, the Société des Avions Marcel Bloch was formally nationalised; its assets, including its factories at Courbevoie, Châteauroux-Déols, Villacoublay, Bordeaux, formed a major portion of the newly established
Société nationale de constructions aéronautiques du Sud-Ouest (SNCASO).
Marcel Bloch was requested by the Minister for Air,
Pierre Cot, to serve as the company's delegated administrator. While he had effectively lost ownership, and much of the control, of his company, Bloch was initially given a relatively free hand in the management of the development workshop.
This independence was later curtailed via amendments to the original nationalisation act.
During 1937, the French Government, recognising the looming threat of another
World War
A world war is an international War, conflict that involves most or all of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World War I ...
with neighbouring
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
, launched a rearmament programme.
Accordingly, the production of large numbers of capable combat aircraft to meet the challenge of the rapidly-expanding
Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
was therefore a major national priority. The company's designs, such as the
MB.150 single-engined fighter and the
MB.170 twin-engined bomber, were amongst those aircraft produced to meet this demand.
As well as entire aircraft, the production of propellers was a major undertaking of the firm, as they were procured by various other French manufacturers for their own aircraft. Both Bloch and Potez were active in efforts to expand manufacturing capacity, leading to purchasing of land in
Saint-Cloud
Saint-Cloud () is a French commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France, from the centre of Paris. Like other communes of Hauts-de-Seine such as Marnes-la-Coquette, Neuilly-sur-Seine and Vaucresson, Saint-Cloud is one of France's wealthie ...
(the western suburbs of
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
) for the construction of a new factory in 1938.
Following the outbreak of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
during early September 1939, France's aeronautics manufacturing efforts reached a frantic pace, trying to satisfy the rapid order of thousands of airplanes, many of which had been placed too late to be fulfilled prior to the start of serious fighting in Western Europe.
During the early months of the conflict, commonly referred to as
Phoney War
The Phoney War (; ; ) was an eight-month period at the outset of World War II during which there were virtually no Allied military land operations on the Western Front from roughly September 1939 to May 1940. World War II began on 3 Septembe ...
, Bloch accelerated production while endeavouring to achieve ever-greater performance from a series of rushed prototypes. On 15 February 1940, Marcel Bloch discontinued his involvement with SNCASO following a dispute with the French Air Ministry.
Following the
Battle of France
The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...
and the
Armistice of 22 June 1940
The Armistice of 22 June 1940, sometimes referred to as the Second Armistice at Compiègne, was an agreement signed at 18:36 on 22 June 1940 near Compiègne, France by officials of Nazi Germany and the French Third Republic. It became effective a ...
marking France's surrender, the French aviation industry, including all equipment, stocks and industrial establishments, were turned over intact to Germany. Accordingly, the French aviation industry was virtually disbanded in near-totality and aircraft manufacturing effectively ceased.
During this period, Marcel Bloch was
interned
Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without Criminal charge, charges or Indictment, intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects ...
by
Vichy France
Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the Battle of France, ...
officials, while endeavours were made by the company to preserve its remaining interests, leading to the appointment of a board of directors, the issuing of
articles of association
In corporate governance, a company's articles of association (AoA, called articles of incorporation in some jurisdictions) is a document that, along with the memorandum of association (where applicable), forms the company's constitution. The ...
, and Marcel Bloch's installation of chairman on 31 December 1940.
Despite pressure to collaborate, Marcel repeatedly refused to cooperate with the Germans. In response, the Germans requisitioned the Saint-Cloud factory, placing its manufacturing activity under the control of the
Junkers
Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke AG (JFM, earlier JCO or JKO in World War I, English language, English: Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works) more commonly Junkers , was a major German aircraft manufacturer, aircraft and aircraft engine manufactu ...
aviation company.
Following the liberation of the
Buchenwald concentration camp
Buchenwald (; 'beech forest') was a German Nazi concentration camp established on Ettersberg hill near Weimar, Nazi Germany, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within the Altreich (pre-1938 ...
on 11 April 1945, Marcel Bloch was freed from German captivity.
However, by the end of the Second World War, the majority of France's aeronautical industrial facilities had been reduced to ruins, while its design offices had been dispersed. Bloch, remaining confident in the demand for commercial aviation in the new
postwar
A post-war or postwar period is the interval immediately following the end of a war. The term usually refers to a varying period of time after World War II, which ended in 1945. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum, ...
era, was keen to relaunch his company. Accordingly, it was rebranded as
Dassault Aviation
Dassault Aviation SA () is a French Aerospace manufacturer, manufacturer of military aircraft and business jets. It was founded in 1929 by Marcel Dassault, Marcel Bloch as Société des Avions Marcel Bloch (Marcel Bloch Aircraft Company). After ...
.
Aircraft models
Military
*
MB.80 & MB.81, air ambulance, 1932 (first flight)
*
MB.200, bomber, 1933
["Military Bloch aircraft : MB 200"](_blank)
. ''Dassault Aviation''. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
**
MB.201, prototype version powered by two Hispano-Suiza 12Ybrs engines
**
MB.202, prototype version powered by four Gnome-Rhône 7Kdrs engines
**
MB.203, prototype version powered by two Clerget 14F diesel engines
*
MB.210, bomber, successor of the MB.200, 1934
**
MB.211 ''Verdun'', prototype with retractable landing gear and powered by two Hispano-Suiza 12Y engines, 1935
**
MB.212, MB.211 re-engined with Hispano-Suiza 14A engines
**
MB.218, four-seat seaplane bomber project, 1937
*
MB.130, reconnaissance bomber, prototype for MB.131, 1934
**
MB.131, reconnaissance-bomber, improved MB.130, 1936
**
MB.133, prototype with revised tail, 1937
**
MB.134, prototype with two Hispano-Suiza 14AA engines, 1937
**
MB.135, four-engine derivative of the MB.131, 1939
*
MB.150, fighter, prototype for MB.151, 1937
**
MB.151, initial production version, powered by a Gnome-Rhône 14N-35 engine
**
MB.152, version powered by a Gnome-Rhône 14N-25 engine
**
MB.153, prototype version powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engine
**
MB.154, proposed version powered by a Wright R-1820 Cyclone engine, not built
**
MB.155, version powered by a Gnome-Rhône 14N-49 engine
**
MB.156, proposed version powered by a Gnome-Rhône 14R engine, not built
**
MB.157, prototype advanced version, converted from a MB.152 and powered by a Gnome-Rhône 14R-4 engine
*
MB.170 reconnaissance/bomber, 1938
**
MB.174, version powered by Gnome-Rhône 14N-49 engines
**
MB.175, bomber version with redesigned bomb bay
**
MB.176, version powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1830-SC3-G Twin Wasp engines
**
MB.177, prototype version powered by Hispano-Suiza 12Y-31 engines
**
MB.178, proposed development, cancelled due to arrival of the Germans
*
MB.462, c.1938
*
MB.500, monoplane trainer, 1938
*
MB.690, c.1938
*
MB.730, c.1938
*
MB.480, torpedo bomber/reconnaissance floatplane, 1939
*
MB.162, four-engine, long-range bomber developed from the MB.160, 1940
*
MB.800, three-seat trainer/mailplane, 1940; one aircraft completed during WWII as the Sud-Ouest SO.80
*
MB.700, monoplane interceptor, 1941
Civilian
*
MB.60, trimotor mailplane, 1930; initially known as the MB.VI
**
MB.61, version with Lorraine 5Pc engines
*
MB.90, light aircraft, 1932; first French all-metal aircraft
**
MB.91, as MB.90 but with rounded tailfin, diverging wing struts and faired-in landing gear; never flown
**
MB.92 ''Grande Tourisme'', similar to the MB.91 but with tandem seating, 1932
**
MB.93, modified MB.90 with a de Havilland Gipsy Major I engine and MB.91 landing gear, tailfin and struts
**
MB.100, four-seat development, powered by a Hispano-Suiza 5Q engine
*
MB.110, mailplane, 1933
*
MB.120, three-engine transport/airliner developed from the MB.71, 1932
*
MB.141 two-seat light aircraft derived from the MB.81, 1934
*
MB.160, high-speed, four-engine airliner, 1937
*
MB.220, twin-engine airliner, 1935
MB 220-221
/ref>
** MB.221, six surviving MB.220s re-engined with Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone engines
* MB.300 ''Pacifique'', three-engine airliner, 1935
* MB.161, four-engine airliner developed from the MB.160, 1939; produced postwar as the SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Societe Des Avions Marcel Bloch
Defunct aircraft manufacturers of France
Marcel Dassault
French companies established in 1929