Sud Aviation

Sud-Aviation (, Southern Aviation) was a French state-owned aircraft manufacturer, originating from the merger of Sud-Est (SNCASE, or Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques du sud-est) and Sud-Ouest (SNCASO or Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques du sud-ouest) on 1 March 1957. Both companies had been formed from smaller privately owned corporations that had been nationalized into six regional design and manufacturing pools just prior to World War II.

From 1960, the firm started on the design of a supersonic transport version of the Caravelle, known as the Super-Caravelle. However, the projected cost of the project was so high that Sud Aviation, at the direction  of the French and British governments, formed a consortium with BAC in November 1962 to merge their design and production efforts to create Concorde.

The company designed helicopters which went on to be built in large numbers, including the Alouette II (the first production helicopter powered by a gas turbine; first flight in 1955), the Puma (1965) and Gazelle (1967). In 1967 an agreement between the British and French governments arranged for joint production and procurement of the Puma and Gazelle, together with the British Westland Lynx.

Sud Aviation merged with Nord Aviation and Société d'études et de réalisation d'engins balistiques (SÉREB) in 1970 to form the Aérospatiale company. Aérospatiale formed several large-scale international consortia, for example with British Aerospace and Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm to form Airbus, and ultimately merged into European aerospace company EADS in 2000.  In January 2014, EADS was reorganised as Airbus Group.

Products
 Sud Aviation Voltigeur
 Sud Aviation Caravelle
 Sud Aviation Super-Caravelle
 Sud Aviation Vautour

References

External links

 Sud Aviation page on AviaFrance.
 SUD AVIATION AND AÉROSPATIALE on US Centennial of Flight

Category:Defunct aircraft manufacturers of France
Category:Defunct helicopter manufacturers
Category:Helicopter manufacturers of France
Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1957
Category:Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1970
Category:Sud Aviation
Category:1957 establishments in France
Category:1970 disestablishments in France
Category:1970 mergers and acquisitions