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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 2081.PDF
France's 102 FLIGHT International, 16 July I9t CD CD ndustry activity. But by good organization, central direction and the careful spreading of the remaining work-load throughout the existing manufacturers, the periode creuse is being spread as evenly as possible, however unfair this may seem to those companies respons- ible for the original designs. The immediate task is to find programmes to replace those now coming to an end, and those now in full swing which will be com- pleted fairly shortly. Commercial orders for the new transports are coming only slowly. Light aircraft production is buoyant, and Sud Aviation have made a notable entry into this field with the Horizon and Jupiter. The brilliant Jodel variants produced by Normande and Centre-Est and Wassmer, the ingenious Fournier made by Alpavia and the Wassmer Super IV are all doing well. The Rallye programme, though basically successful and continuing under the direction of Potez, was sufficiently over-ambitious to break Morane- Saulnier. Sud and Rheims Aviation's much more cautious approach has proved rather safer. In the helicopter field, Sud have good prospects for three versions of the Super Frelon, for the new SA.33O military support helicopter and for the Alouette series in various developments. But there is at the moment only one official French military programme for an entirely new aircraft, and virtually every manu- facturer is working hard to produce the winning design, with Dassault having actually announced the construction of a prototype and Nord claiming to have cut metal. Apart from this the mounting work-load of the Atlantic and Transall still do not provide the prospect of major production activity, and the framework of the consortia involved does not allow of any very flexible work-sharing programmes. The principal hope is evidently the Concord; but this will not for some years yet provide production work to equal that formerly provided by the Caravelles, and it will probably never equal the Caravelle programme in total volume of work in France. Neverthe- less, the aircraft industry now has a powerful and profitable place in French industry in general, both as a source of advanced technology and as a source of exports. Its importance as a political instrument, in producing the national deterrent which is a basic element in French international policy, establishes it as indispensable. What- ever the temporary dip in work-load, its potential will be maintained and it will continue to hold a powerful position in the international market. The summaries of the activities of many of the major companies in this review are the result of a week-long tour of the industry by a Flight International representative who accompanied a special tour organized by the Union Syndicate des Industries Aeronautiques et Spatiales, the French equivalent of Britain's SBAC. Activities of other aircraft, engine, missile and equipment manufacturers are listed in the directory which follows the summaries. TheFRl satellite, already test-fired in Aerobees and to be injected into orbit by Scout next year Space Activities THE French missiles and spacecraft development effort is one c the largest in Europe and is directed along three main lines c activity, the development of military ballistic missiles, pure] national space projects and joint European space projects. Although the exact proportion of pure scientific research wor initiated and supported as part of the military effort is difficult t assess—though it is known to represent at least 90 per cent of th "precious stone" series leading up to Diamant—the researc directed for military purposes by the DMA (Delegation Mini; terielle pour l'Armement) forms a major part of the total. In the "precious stone" series, Agate and Topaz trials have bee successful and tests of the Rubis are beginning. Emeraude will b tested in the autumn and Saphir early next year. These tests at leading up to the launching of satellite Dl by a Diamant in Decerr ber 1965. Subsequently Diamant will be improved and Regem with a 220,0001b take-off thrust, will be developed. This work i being carried out by SEREB (Societe pour l'Etude et pour la Realis ations d'Engins Balistiques), an engineering organization compos© of the LRBA (Laboratoire de Recherches Balistiques et Aero dynamiques) and many manufacturers. One of its prime goals i the development of surface-to-surface and under-sea-to-surfac strategic missiles for later stages of the force de dissuasion. Principal civil space development agency, responsible to th Minister of State for scientific research, space projects and atomi energy, is the CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales), witl headquarters in Paris. It has an interim technical directorate am research establishment at Bretigny, to be replaced in 1967 by th main technical centre at Toulouse, a balloon launching centre a Aire sur L'Adour and an astrophysical research team in the Uni versity of Marseilles. From the French armed services the CNE! obtains the use of firing ranges at Hammaguir, He du Levant am in the Landes. Industry Participation The 1964 budget for CNES is 231m Francs (about £172.3m] of which 70m Francs are for European programmes, 16.5m Franc returned to the DMA for development of Diamant, and 32.7n Francs for the FR1, Dl, D2 and D3 satellites. CNES has charge< DMA with the development of Coralie, the French second stage fo the Eldo launcher. Six Cora development rounds, designed to b launched without the other Eldo stages, are to be fired at the em of next year as a prelude to the full Eldo launching in 1966 or 1967 Besides basic research in all phases of space activity, CNES is a present organizing firing of a large number of space probes t< heights of up to 600km. Last year 40 such vehicles were launche* and another 40 are planned this year. A monkey is to be launchei in a Vesta vehicle next year. Several of the seven different types o vehicles used have additionally been acquired by foreign countries An annual total of between 100 and 200 balloons are being launchec as part of both French and foreign research programmes. Two preliminary launchings in an Aerobee last October havi proved the feasibility of the FR1 satellite, which is to be placed it orbit by a Scout at the end of next year. The first three D-typ< satellites are also to be launched by Diamant at the end of next year Test installations, a national tracking, telemetry and control net work to be associated with the US Minitrack, and later with Eldi systems is to be completed next year. Plans are being laid for inter planetary probes requiring more powerful launchers than th< Eldo A. - - In the international field, the CNES is participating in the wofi of Eldo and Esro. France is providing 23.03 per cent of the fund in the form of the Coralie second stage for Eldo A and is the secom largest contributor to the programme. In Esro research the Frencl contribution, at 18.22 per cent, is the third largest. For the FR1 satellite to be launched by Scout next year, Nor< are making four sets of structure and aerials. The first was deli vere< for static testing last September and the second will serve as a pro totype for the last two, which will actually be launched. Air Equipement is producing the stabilization system. For the Esro orbiting astronomical observatory the French sub mission, supported by CNES, is that by Nord in association witf CGE and Air-Equipement. It incorporates a CSF photo-multiplia and a novel gyro stabilization system. The Nord OAO is in com petition with a German submission by DVL and a British sub mission by RAE.
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