Caudron

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La Foudre
in April 1914

The Société des Avions Caudron was a French aircraft company founded in 1909 as the Association Aéroplanes Caudron Frères by brothers Gaston and René Caudron. It was one of the earliest aircraft manufacturers in France and produced planes for the military in both World War I and World War II. From 1933 onwards, it was a subsidiary of Renault.

Alphonse (Gaston) (1882–1915) and René Caudron (1884–1959)

Born in Favières, Somme to parents who farmed nearby in Romiotte, the Caudron brothers were educated at a college in Abbeville. Gaston, as Alphonse was always known, intended to become an engineer but his education was cut short by health problems; René was interested in the development of mechanics and was a sportsman. After military service in an artillery regiment, they returned to work on the farm.[1]

They began to build their first aircraft, a large biplane, in August 1908. Initially unable to obtain an engine, they flew it as a glider, towed by a horse, and tested it through the summer. In September 1909, they finally flew it under power. By April 1910, they were able to make a return flight of 10 km (6 mi) to Forest-Montiers.[1]

Gaston Caudron died in an aircraft accident on 15 December 1915 at the airfield at

fall of France at the start of World War II. He died in 1959.[3]

Caudron Frères and Caudron-Renault

Needing a more convenient base than the farm, the brothers established their factory in nearby

Juvisy with a combined capacity of 100–250.[5] The War Ministry sent about 30 student pilots there in 1913.[citation needed] By then the company was based at Rue, Somme.[5] During World War I, the company moved its production to Lyon and Issy-les-Moulineaux, as the Somme plant was too close to the battle front.[6]

Designers of many aircraft like the two-seater

trainers in which thousands of pilots got their first flying licence. The Caudron plants at Lyon and Issy-les-Moulineaux produced nearly 4,000 airplanes during World War I.[citation needed] In 1920, the Lyon plant stopped assembling and the Issy-les-Moulineaux site was consolidated as the headquarters and main production base.[6] In 1933, Caudron was acquired by Renault, following pressure from the French Air Ministry, which was seeking consolidation in the aircraft industry. At the time, Renault was increasing its involvement in the aviation field.[7][8][9] Renault took a controlling 55% stake while René Caudron kept the remaining 45%.[6] both the Société des Avions Caudron and Renault's aircraft engine branch were integrated into the Renault Aviation division led by François Lehideux (as top manager), Marcel Riffard (as aircraft body chief designer) and Charles-Edmond Serre (aircraft engine chief designer).[6][8] The Issy-les-Moulineaux plant improved synergies with the Billancourt engine plant, as both were in the Paris area. In 1937, Renault bought out René Caudron's minority stake.[6]

Renault used its successes on aviation to promote its core automotive business

As part of Renault, Caudron centred on producing light, sportier aircraft powered by either

C 440 (twin-engined low-wing cabin monoplane), the C 450 (1-seat racing monoplane), the C 460 (1-seat racing monoplane) and the C 530 Rafale (high-performance, 2-seat light monoplane).[12]

By 1936, Renault was hit by the

AAF bombings that took place in September 1943, leaving it permanently out of production.[13] In 1944, the remaining Caudron-Renault operations were nationalised by the French government and became part of the Société Nationale de Construction aéronautique du Centre.[6]

Aircraft

(Association Aéroplanes Caudron Frères / Société des avions Caudron)

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 2 914017-08-1
    .
  2. ^ "Nécrologie - Gaston Caudron". L'Aérophile. Vol. 23, no. 24. 1–15 December 1915. p. 275.
  3. ^ "René Caudron". Flight. Vol. 76, no. 2639. 9 October 1959. p. 346.
  4. ^ "Au jour le jour un peu partout (Daily everywhere)". L'Aérophile. Vol. 1910. 1 June 1910. p. 242.
  5. ^
    ISBN 0-7153-4388-2
    .
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Siffre, Henri; De Andria, Jean-François. Le Groupe Caudron-Renault 1933–1944 : un météore de l'aviation française [The Caudron-Renault Group 1933–1944: a meteor of the French aviation] (in French).
  7. ^
    Insee. Archived
    (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2012.
  8. ^ a b c d e Richards, Yves. Renault 1898, Renault 1965 (in French). Pierre Tisné. pp. 129–130.
  9. ^
    ISSN 1777-5906
    .
  10. ^ "Renault Energy F1-2015: Media Guide" (PDF). Renault Sport F1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  11. ^ Davidson, Budd (17 June 2014). "Caudron C.460 Ancient Speed Demon Reborn". Flight Journal. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  12. ^ "The world's planes and builders". Popular Aviation. Vol. 17, no. 5. Chicago: Aeronautical Publications. November 1935. p. 329.
  13. ^ a b c Frazer, Charles D. (November 1944). "Bompower". Air Force Magazine. Vol. 27, no. 11. New York City: US Air Force Editorial Office. p. 8.
  14. ^
    ISBN 978-1-853-10864-8
    .
  15. ^ "Caudron Type R". Aviafrance.com. 21 August 2003. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  16. ^ "Caudron C.157". Aviafrance.com. 21 August 2003. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  17. ^ "Caudron C.159". Aviafrance.com. 21 August 2003. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  18. ^ "Caudron C.561". Aviafrance.com. 21 August 2003. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  19. ^ "Caudron C.660". Aviafrance.com. 21 August 2003. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  20. ^ "Caudron C.684". Aviafrance.com. 21 August 2003. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  21. ^ "Caudron C.685". Aviafrance.com. 21 August 2003. Retrieved 29 January 2011.

External links

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