rther contracts followed for Handley Page W8, Fokker FVII assembled or produced
under license. SABCA tried to diversify its production by producing ships for use in Congo or by
developing its own designs but the main activity remained the production under license of aircraft for the domestic market.
The SABCA workshop in Haren during the twenties with Avia BH21 and Ansaldo A300’s under construction
Others companies entered the market during the twenties. Jean Stampe, an Antwerpen born pilot
of Word War I fame associated with René Vertongen, another Great War pilot to start the Stampe & Vertongen company
at Antwerpen. Alfred Renard, joined them to produce
light- and trainer aircraft under the Renard Stampe & Vertongen name. Later Renard left the company to start his own businesses as Atelier
Alfred Renard. Other small companies entered the aircraft industry. SEGA in Gosselies started operations in 1921 as a flying school managed by Word War
I ace Fernand Jacquet. The company operated as ab initio training school for the military pilots. The
firm produced a
small batch of Avia BH21 fighters under license. ACAZ in Zeebrugge produced a few prototypes. Orta St Hubert build the designs of Jef
Guldentops, who served in
Beaumarais during World War One. The Guldentops machines were pleasant small training and touring aircraft but the production stayed limited.
Comparing with aircraft industries in other countries, the Belgian aircraft builders were not very successful working mainly on small series for the
local needs. The Belgian government did not support the home aeronautical industry as others countries did.
At the end of the twenties the apparition of Avions Fairey in Gosselies create a
healthy competition but also some problems for SABCA as after the
delivery of the last Breguet 19, military contracts reduced dramatically with the adoption of the Fairey Fox and Firefly. Sabca survived with the
license production of Fokker FVII and Savoia Marchetti tri-engined passenger
aircraft for Sabena.
The loss of SABCA's monopoly for military contracts permitted Renard and Stampe & Vertongen to obtain small
orders from the
Aéronautique Militaire for delivery of trainer- and combat-aircraft as the SV5 or the Renard R31.
Although the general opinion in Belgian aviation circles was that it was better to buy original new designs from manufacturers (build by foreign
companies…), the activity of the Belgian aircraft industry during the twenties and the thirties continue to focus on construction under
Sabca, Renard and Stampe & Vertongen also build their own designs but very few of these new machines reached production. In most of the
cases, the lack of interest by the public authorities in sustaining the emergence of prototypes in Belgium is a good explanation. Some aircraft
with great commercial potential such as the Renard R35 or R36 where abandoned after the first accident. If the US Government had applied the same
attitude towards the Boeing prototypes, neither the B-17 nor the B-29 would have been produced. Even more critical was the situation in the aircraft engine
industry. Sabca build an engine production plant but the activity did not generate benefits. Renard and Sarolea produced promising small
engines but on a general point of view, Belgium depended on foreign supply for aircraft engines.
trainer of 1938
Since 1938, the government decided to look for new aircraft in order to replace the
obsolete machines of the Aeronautique Militaire. Several precious
months were lost negotiating with foreign constructors. The then major foreign manufacturers were already
producing at full capacity to fulfill their national needs and could not divert aircraft for Belgium. Some local
prototypes were also developed as SABCA S40 & S47.
Finally Hurricane, Breguet 693 and Caproni Ca313 production rights were acquired to be build under license by
Some strange arrangements were concluded. For example Sabca prepared the production of Koolhoven FK53 fighters for the French Armée
de l’air and a part of the Breguet 693 to be produced in Belgium was intended