The (STAé) was a French state body responsible for coordinating technical aspects of

aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' include fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as h ...

in France. Formed in 1916 as the the STAé continued until 1980 when its functions were distributed among other French governmental bodies, including the (STPA), (STPA) and the (SCPM).

History

In 1877 (Central Establishment of the air balloon of Chalais- Meudon) was formed as the first aeronautical laboratory in the world, with a mission to design and assemble all French military aero-static equipment, from components made in industry, and train personnel in their use. At the beginning of 1916 French military aircraft were being surpassed in performance and armament. The lack of technical coordination lead to disagreements between the views and desires of command and the capabilities of manufacturers, resulting in development delays and technological dead ends. At the instigation of the Deputy Secretary of State for Aeronautics

René Besnard René Henry Besnard (12 April 1879 – 12 March 1952) was a French politician who was a deputy for Indre-et-Loire from 1906 to 1919 and senator from 1920 to 1941. He was briefly Minister of the Colonies and then Minister of Labor and Social Welf ...

and Minister of War

General Gallieni Joseph Simon Gallieni (24 April 1849 – 27 May 1916) was a French military officer, active for most of his career as a military commander and administrator in the French colonies where he wrote several books on colonial affairs. He was reca ...

, the Section technique de l'aéronautique was created on 21 February 1916, to coordinate all aspects of the design of new aircraft, led by

Émile Dorand Jean-Baptiste Émile Dorand (; 14 May 1866 – 1 July 1922), was a French military engineer and aircraft designer. Early career Émile Dorand was born in Semur-en-Auxois in eastern France. He attended the École Polytechnique from 1886 to 1888 ...

former head of , the contemporary French equivalent of the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

Royal Aircraft Factory Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, ...

. The STAé moved to

Issy-les-Moulineaux Issy-les-Moulineaux () is a commune in the southwestern suburban area of Paris, France, lying on the left bank of the river Seine. Its citizens are called in French. It is one of Paris's entrances and is located from Notre Dame Cathedral, whic ...

, creating the (Issy-les-Moulineaux Technical Experiments Establishment), which included laboratories, wind tunnels and ground testing facilities, placed at the disposal of the (Ministry of War). The new establishment was charged with directing, coordinating and centralising new research and experiments concerning military aviation, in three categories: aviation, armament, and research and development). Dorand led the STAé in development of a "standard atmosphere" in order to be able to compare the performance of different aircraft and equipment using a common baseline. The STAé was also charged with ensuring that the demands of service chiefs were met, where possible by French industry, correlating the demands of the military with the material possibilities of the moment; determine the performance of equipment presented by manufacturers to improve knowledge of the laws of aeronautics. The first tasks of the STAé were: to develop a tractor propeller observation aircraft to allow defence against the Fokker E.III attacking from behind; to introduce a fighter able to fire through the propeller disk and develop twin-engined three-seat observation aircraft. Latterly the STAé turned its attention to aircraft engines issuing specifications and pushing for lighter, more powerful and reliable engines. On 6 April 1918, a ministerial decision officially made the STAé responsible for aircraft, engines, armament, flight test and research. On 6 June 1919, was created and attached to the , bringing together the STAé, (SFA) and (SNAé). The STAé established regulations for designing aircraft to improve safety, as well as drawing up specifications for a wide range of military aircraft classes, which were assessed in a competitive fashion and production contracts issued accordingly. In 1934, under the

Victor Denain Victor-Léon-Ernest Denain (; 6 November 1880, in Dax – 31 December 1952, in Nice) was a French general, aviator and politician. He was behind the creation of the Salon-de-Provence Air School and the general development of military aviation. Bio ...

, the was replaced by the , in which the STAé and the SPAé were incorporateded. Until 1939–1940, the STAé standardised equipment and products for civil and military aviation under the specific regulations of the Ministry of Air, developing and approving standards in consultation with industry and their implementation. After the surrender of France in May 1940, the STAé evacuated to Roanne in

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, ...

. In 1945, Inspector General Merle, director of the STAé created an section (STAé/ES) for research and development of missiles; other sections that emerged over the years included sections for helicopters, equipment, engines, armament and more.

STAé specifications

From 1919 the STAé drew up specifications for specific roles in military aviation and assessed designs from industry competitively before production contracts were issued.

Directors

(28 February 1916 - 11 January 1918) *

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 ...

(12 January 1918 - 1920) *

Georges Fortrant Georges may refer to: Places *Georges River, New South Wales, Australia * Georges Quay (Dublin) *Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania Other uses * Georges (name) * ''Georges'' (novel), a novel by Alexandre Dumas * "Georges" (song), a 19 ...

(1920–1925) * Albert Caquot (1928–1933) * Roger Guénod (1974–1980)

History

STAé specifications

Directors

References

Further reading