Aérospatiale

Infobox Defunct Company
company_name = Aérospatiale
company_
fate = Merged into EADS
successor = EADS
foundation = 1970
defunct = July 10, 2000
location = Toulouse, France
industry = Aerospace and defence
key_people =
products = See list
num_employees =
parent =
subsid =

Aérospatiale was a French aerospace manufacturer that primarily built both civilian and military aircraft and rockets.

The company was created in 1970 from the state-owned companies Sud Aviation, Nord Aviation and "Société d'études et de réalisation d'engins balistiques" (SÉREB). Starting in 1971 it was directed by Émile Dewoitine and Bernard Dufour.

In 1991 the company helped construct the revolutionary chassis of the Bugatti EB110 Supercar. The chassis was built completely out of carbon fibre, and was very lightweight.

In 1992, DaimlerBenz Aerospace AG (DASA) and Aérospatiale combined their helicopter divisions to form the Eurocopter Group.

In 1999, Aérospatiale merged with Matra Haute Technologie to form Aérospatiale-Matra. In 2001, Aérospatiale-Matra's missile group was merged with Matra BAe Dynamics and the missile division of Alenia Marconi Systems to form MBDA. Lionel Jospin's Plural Left government initiated the privatization of Aérospatiale.

On July 10, 2000, Aérospatiale-Matra merged with Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA) of Spain and DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (DASA) of Germany to form The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS).

Products

The company worked with the British company Westland Aircraft on three designs, the Puma, Gazelle and Lynx.

*Airbus Transport
*Alouette II and Alouette III helicopters
*Arabsat satellite
*Ariane rocket
*ATR 42 and ATR 72 turboprop airliners (with Alenia Aeronautica)
*ATSF (unrealised) supersonic transport
*Bugatti EB110 chassis
*Caravelle Transport
*Concorde Transport (with British Aircraft Corporation)
*Corvette Transport
*Dauphin helicopter
*Epsilon Trainer
*Exocet missile
*Gazelle helicopter
*Hermes spaceplane (unrealized)
*Lama helicopter
*Magister Trainer/Attack
* Meteosat satellites
*Puma helicopter
*Spacebus satellites
* Huygens probe
*Squirrel helicopter
*Zephyr Naval Trainer/Attack

Directors

* 1971-1979 - Émile Dewoitine

External links

* [http://www.helis.com/timeline/aerospatiale.php Helis.com]