The Wibault company or ''Société des Avions Michel Wibault'' was a French aircraft manufacturing company. Its workshops were located in Billancourt, in the

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

area.Aviafrance Wibault
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History

The Wibault company was established in 1919 by

Michel Wibault Michel Henri Marie Joseph Wibault (born 5 June 1897, died 23 January 1963) was a French aircraft designer. He was a strong advocate of metal construction, and his airliners were important in the development of French commercial aviation in the 1 ...

. The planes produced by Wibault in the first decade included reconnaissance, fighter and bomber aircraft, but production shifted mainly to civilian aircraft after 1930. Some of the Wibault designs were quite successful; the

Vickers Wibault The Vickers Type 121 Wibault Scout was a British Fighter aircraft, fighter built by Vickers in the 1920s. It was a licensed version of the France, French Wibault 7 aircraft, with 26 being sold to Chile in 1926, where they served until 1934. D ...

was a licensed version of the

Wibault 7 The Wibault 7 was a 1920s French monoplane fighter designed and built by '' Société des Avions Michel Wibault''. Variants were operated by the French and Polish military and built under licence for Chile as the Vickers Wibault. Development ...

built by the British company

Vickers Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells. The company went public in 18 ...

in the 1920s. In 1930 Société des Avions Michel Wibault built the Wibault-Penhoët 280, which was funded by the Penhoët (Chantiers St. Nazairre) shipyard and the following year the companies merged to form Chantiers Aéronautiques Wibault-Penhoët. That company produced the Wibault-Penhoët 280 series of

trimotor A trimotor is an aircraft powered by three engines and represents a compromise between complexity and safety and was often a result of the limited power of the engines available to the designer. Many trimotors were designed and built in the 1920s ...

airliner An airliner is a type of aircraft for transporting passengers and air cargo. Such aircraft are most often operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an ...

s, twelve of which were bought by

Air France Air France (; formally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. It is a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global air ...

. They also built transport and racing types but in 1934 were taken over by Breguet Aviation who built several Wibault designs including the Breguet 670 twin-engined airliner.

Aircraft

Wibault 1 The Wibault Wib 1, Wib C1 or, later, Wib 1 C1 was a French World War I single seat, single engine fighter aircraft prototype. Flown near the end of the war, it was not selected for production. Design and development The Wib 1 was an aerodynami ...

fighter 1918 * Wibault 2 night bomber 1921 *

Wibault 3 The Wibault 3 or Wibault Wib 3 C.1 was a French parasol wing prototype fighter aircraft from the 1920s, designed for high altitude operations. Its development was abandoned after repeated materials failure in its supercharger. Design and develop ...

fighter 1923 *

fighter 1924 *

Wibault 72 The Wibault 7 was a 1920s French monoplane fighter designed and built by '' Société des Avions Michel Wibault''. Variants were operated by the French and Polish military and built under licence for Chile as the Vickers Wibault. Development D ...

fighter 1928 *

Wibault 73 The Wibault 7 was a 1920s French monoplane fighter designed and built by '' Société des Avions Michel Wibault''. Variants were operated by the French and Polish military and built under licence for Chile as the Vickers Wibault. Development D ...

fighter 1927 *

Wibault 74 The Wibault company or ''Société des Avions Michel Wibault'' was a French aircraft manufacturing company. Its workshops were located in Boulogne-Billancourt, Billancourt, in the Paris area. History The Wibault company was established in 1919 ...

fighter 1930 *

Wibault 8 The Wibault 8 or Wib 8 Simoun ( Simoon) was a tandem seat, parasol wing fighter aircraft designed and built in France to a 1925 specification which was later withdrawn; only one Wib 8 was completed. Design The Wib 8 Simoun was designed around a ...

''Simoun'' fighter *

Wibault 9 The Wibault 9 or Wib 9 was a single seat, parasol wing fighter aircraft designed and built in France in the 1920s. It was a re-engined version of the relatively successful Wib 7, but failed to reach production. Design The Wib 9 Simoun was a ve ...

fighter 1926 *

Wibault 10 The Wibault company or ''Société des Avions Michel Wibault'' was a French aircraft manufacturing company. Its workshops were located in Billancourt, in the Paris area. History The Wibault company was established in 1919 by Michel Wibault. Th ...

twin boom project *

Wibault 10/II The Wibault 10/II Tramontane was a two-seat reconnaissance aircraft designed and built by '' Société des Avions Michel Wibault'' in France for the French military 1923 A.2 competition for a 2-seater reconnaissance aircraft. Design and developm ...

re-allocated for two-seat parasol wing reconnaissance aircraft, built for A.2 1923 competition *

Wibault 12 The Wibault 12 Sirocco or Wib 12 Sirocco was a two-seat, parasol wing fighter aircraft designed and built in France in the 1920s. Three fighter prototypes were completed, one for the RAF and two Army co-operation variants. There was no series pr ...

''Sirocco'' fighter *

Wibault 121 The Wibault 12 Sirocco or Wib 12 Sirocco was a two-seat, parasol wing fighter aircraft designed and built in France in the 1920s. Three fighter prototypes were completed, one for the RAF and two Army co-operation variants. There was no series pr ...

Sirocco reconnaissance *

Wibault 122 The Wibault 12 Sirocco or Wib 12 Sirocco was a two-seat, parasol wing fighter aircraft designed and built in France in the 1920s. Three fighter prototypes were completed, one for the RAF and two Army co-operation variants. There was no series pr ...

fighter *

Wibault 123 The Wibault 12 Sirocco or Wib 12 Sirocco was a two-seat, parasol wing fighter aircraft designed and built in France in the 1920s. Three fighter prototypes were completed, one for the RAF and two Army co-operation variants. There was no series pr ...

reconnaissance *

Wibault 124 The Wibault 12 Sirocco or Wib 12 Sirocco was a two-seat, parasol wing fighter aircraft designed and built in France in the 1920s. Three fighter prototypes were completed, one for the RAF and two Army co-operation variants. There was no series pr ...

surveillance 1929 *

Wibault 125 The Wibault 12 Sirocco or Wib 12 Sirocco was a two-seat, parasol wing fighter aircraft designed and built in France in the 1920s. Three fighter prototypes were completed, one for the RAF and two Army co-operation variants. There was no series pr ...

reconnaissance 1930 * Wibault 13 ''Trombe'' I single seat lightweight fighter to C.1 1926 Jockey fighter contest * Wibault 130 ''Trombe'' I fighter *

Wibault 170 The Wibault 13C.1 Trombe (Whirlwind), later known as the Wib 130C.1 Trombe was a single seat, parasol wing lightweight fighter aircraft designed and built in France in the 1920s. It was developed into the more powerful Wib 170C.1 Tornade (Tornado ...

''Tornade'' fighter 1928 * Wibault 210 fighter 1929 *

Wibault 220 The Wibault 220 or Wibault R.N.3 220 was a twin-engined French night reconnaissance aircraft. Two were built in 1930 to a government contract. Design Michel Wibault was one of the pioneers of all-metal aircraft, along with Hugo Junkers and Cla ...

reconnaissance 1930 * Wibault 240 transport seaplane 1933 * Wibault 260 long range reconnaissance 1930 * Wibault 280T civil airliner 1930 * Wibault 281T * Wibault 282T * Wibault 283T * Wibault 313 * Wibault 360T5 civil airliner 1931 * Wibault 361 * Wibault 362 * Wibault 363 * Wibault 364 * Wibault 365 * Wibault 366 * Wibault 367 * Wibault 368 * Breguet-Wibault 670 civil airliner 1935

Significant projects

*Wibault 4 heavy bomber project (no data) *Wibault 5 single-seat parasol-wing fighter project, submitted to C.1 1923 *Wibault 6 two-seat parasol-wing fighter derivative of Wibault 5 *Wibault 11 single-seat fighter project powered by one 500 hp engine, for C.1 1923 *Wibault 14 two-seat parasol wing tourist aircraft project *Wibault 14H a floatplane version of Wibault 14 *Wibault 15 single-seat fighter project to C.1 1926 contest *Wibault 160 Trombe II a more powerful version of Wibault 130 Trombe I, also for C.1 1926 *Wibault 230 three-engined transport aircraft project (no data) *Wibault 270 single-seat lightweight fighter project for C.1 1928 *Wibault 330 transport aircraft (no more details) * Wibault 340 two-seat low-wing tourist aircraft project

References

External links

*
1933 Fin des Wibault & Nid 622Breguet-Wibault 670Douchy Gustave, Wibault test pilot
{{Defunct aircraft manufacturers of France Arrondissement of Boulogne-Billancourt