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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0396.PDF
250,000 200.000 150,000 100,000 50,000 180 •60 !40 120 100 80 BO (0 20 n • 396 FLIGHT International, 15 March 1962 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 Aviation employment: France grey, UK black 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 Aeronautical exports; France grey, UK black French Industry IT is common knowledge that France has blossomed forth as a successful producer of aeronautical material sought after in all parts of the world. Today her aviation exports are claimed to be running at a higher rate than those of the United Kingdom, and she is already a close rival to the United States. In the earliest days of aviation France led the world. Between the wars Breguet, Potez, Morane-Saulnier and others achieved limited international success, but nothing compared with the United Kingdom and USA. At the international Paris Salon futuristic models and mock-ups used to outnumber real aircraft. Today our Gallic cousins are keeping both feet relatively firmly on the ground, and are preventing failures from ever being built. What are the products which have brought France into her pre eminent position ? First and foremost must come the Sud Caravelle. Originally quite non-U, it has now emerged as the prototype of all modern jetliners—its engines are in what BAC call "the right place" —and also as a sound transport vehicle for some twenty airlines. Of the Dassault Mirage III this journal has predicted that it is "likely to win export orders from more air forces than all its rivals combined." This M2 fighter/bomber is versatile, economical and able to use unprepared strips. Another best-seller is Sud's Alouette II, the first helicopter in the world to be marketed with a gas-turbine. By accepting modest design targets, and by employing similar techniques and components throughout a family of related weapons, Nord have achieved unparalleled missile success. Total sales exceed 70,000, the United Kingdom being among the customers. Mention should be made of the SNECMA Atar turbojet (2,300 built and to be manufactured in Australia and Switzerland), and the Turbomeca small turbines which are being produced under licence in several countries, including Britain and the USA. France occupies a key position in NATO programmes. She is a partner in the Breguet Atlantic, Transall C.160 and Hawk missile; and she is likely to take a major part in the European heavy satel lite launcher, the NBMR-3 and NBMR-4 programmes and in the evolution of RB.162 jet-lift. Yet when an international decision has appeared unpalatable—by which we mean when a French product has not been chosen—French co-operation has sometimes been withheld. To some extent the French manufacturers enjoy the best of both worlds. Their Government is sympathetic towards anything which will increase the prestige of France, and is financing a surprising number of "go it alone" programmes, which promise to give France the first true STOL transport, the first European supersonic bomber, the first M2 VTOL aeroplane and the first supersonic airliner. M Buron and his colleagues appear to appreciate that the greatest prizes can rarely be won without taking a calculated risk. In contrast, the British Government appear unwilling to gamble, or say to others, "We would like you to come in with us on this programme, but we are going ahead anyway." Compared with rationalized Britain, there are more aircraft firms in France, even though a large part of the industry was nationalized in 1936 (the national groups have no specially favoured position). Government orders account for just over 50 per cent of the aggregate aeronautical turnover, currently running at about NF2,800m (£286m) per year. PERSONNEL Aggregate employment within the French aircraft industry is expected by mid-1962 to have risen to 85.000. Of these, management, senior engineers and flight personnel account for 7.7 per cent; technicians, draughtsmen and foremen for 35.2 per cent; and hourly-paid workers for the remaining 57.1 per cent. An average working week is47hr 30min. The total may be broken down as follows: airframes, 48,400; engines, 16.400, equipment, 20,200. Airframes: Sud, 23,000*; Nord, 7,900*; Dassault. 5,500; Breguet; 4,400; others, 7,600. Engines: SNECMA, 9.000*; Hispano-Suiza, 4,000; Turbo meca, 1,600; others, 1,800. * National groups, with a total employment of 39,900. Production figures for some of the most successful French aircraft, the remainder, licence manufacture outside France The solid black portion of line represents home construction; 500 600 700 CARAVEUE For 17 countries AlOUETTE II for 26 countries MIRAGE 111 • For 5 countries MAGISTER ^fi&so-A Tor 7 tounfrie. mm®, NORAUAS For 4 countries For 34 tovnf'ttJ W/Z/////////M& 425 *#*-* 500 (|sr BATCH) CONSTRUCTED IN FRANCE UNDER LICENCE VWX.i
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