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Caudron

{{Short description|French aircraft manufacturer}}

File:CaudronLaFoudre.jpg 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.{{cite book |title=Les Avions Caudrons |last=Hauet|first=André|year=2001|volume=1|publisher=Lela Presse|location=Outreau|isbn=2 914017-08-1}}

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 {{convert|10|km|mi|abbr=on|0}} to Forest-Montiers.

Gaston Caudron died in an aircraft accident on 15 December 1915 at the airfield at Bron.{{cite magazine|date=1–15 December 1915 |title=Nécrologie - Gaston Caudron|magazine=L'Aérophile|volume=23 |issue=24 |page=275|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6553367x/f17}} René continued in the aircraft business until the fall of France at the start of World War II. He died in 1959.{{cite magazine|date=9 October 1959 |title=René Caudron |magazine= Flight|volume=76 |issue=2639 |page=346 |url= http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1959/1959%20-%202569.html}}

Caudron Frères and Caudron-Renault

Needing a more convenient base than the farm, the brothers established their factory in nearby Le Crotoy, on the eastern side of the Somme estuary about {{convert|16|km|mi|abbr=on|0}} from Abbeville and with a broad, flat, firm, south facing beach ideal for flying. They set up a flying school there which was functioning by 19 May 1910.{{cite magazine |date=1 June 1910 |title=Au jour le jour un peu partout (Daily everywhere)|magazine=L'Aérophile|volume=1910 |page=242|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k65639070/f246}} This activity flourished and by early 1913 a second school had been set up at Juvisy with a combined capacity of 100–250.{{cite book |title= Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1913|last= Jane |first= Fred T. |year=1969|publisher=David & Charles|location= London|isbn=0-7153-4388-2

|page=86 }} The War Ministry sent about 30 student pilots there in 1913.{{citation needed|date=March 2015}} By then the company was based at Rue, Somme. 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.{{cite book |last1=Siffre |first1=Henri |last2=De Andria |first2=Jean-François |title=Le Groupe Caudron-Renault 1933–1944 : un météore de l'aviation française |trans-title=The Caudron-Renault Group 1933–1944: a meteor of the French aviation |language=fr}}

Designers of many aircraft like the two-seater Caudron G.3 that successfully landed on Mont Blanc in 1921, Caudron produced the 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|date=February 2020}} In 1920, the Lyon plant stopped assembling and the Issy-les-Moulineaux site was consolidated as the headquarters and main production base. 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.{{cite conference |url=http://www.insee.fr/en/ppp/sommaire/imet95-96m.pdf|title=Restructuring in the auto industry: the precedent of the 1930s |first=Jean Louis |last=Loubet |date=1 December 1999 |conference=Changing for the better approaches to restructuring enterprise groups – 5th seminar of the INSEE Business Statistics Directorate |journal=Insee Méthodes |issue=95–96 |publisher=Insee |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304022604/http://www.insee.fr/en/ppp/sommaire/imet95-96m.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2012|url-status=live}}{{cite book |last1=Richards |first1=Yves |title=Renault 1898, Renault 1965 |language=fr |publisher=Pierre Tisné |pages=129–130}}{{cite journal |last=Chadeau |first=Emmanuel |url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/hes_0752-5702_1987_num_6_2_1449 |date=1988 |title=Stratégies d'entreprises et innovations internationales : les motoristes français d'aviation |trans-title=Business strategies and international innovations: the French aircraft engine manufacturers |language=fr |volume=6 |issue=2 |journal=Histoire, économie & société |publisher=Armand Colin |issn=1777-5906 |doi=10.3406/hes.1987.1449 |page=278}} Renault took a controlling 55% stake while René Caudron kept the remaining 45%. 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). 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.

File:Renault Viva Boucher.jpg

As part of Renault, Caudron centred on producing light, sportier aircraft powered by either inline-four or inline-six cylinder engines, mirroring its automotive range at the time. Riffard was an expert on streamlined designs, which helped to achieve good speeds on low power. Caudron-Renault aircraft set several records in the 1930s.{{cite web|url=http://www.renaultsportf1.com/IMG/pdf/rsf1-presskit-2015-en_v6.pdf|title=Renault Energy F1-2015: Media Guide|work=Renault Sport F1|access-date=24 February 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218174146/http://www.renaultsportf1.com/IMG/pdf/rsf1-presskit-2015-en_v6.pdf|archive-date=18 February 2015|df=dmy-all}} In August 1934, Hélène Boucher, on board her C 450, achieved the world record average speed for 100 kilometres, 1000 kilometres, and the world female speed record. In December 1934, Raymond Delmotte got a land aircraft world speed record of 505 km/h on board his C 460.{{Cite web |url=https://www.flightjournal.com/caudron-c-460-ancient-speed-demon-reborn-2/#visitor_pref_pop |title=Caudron C.460 Ancient Speed Demon Reborn |work=Flight Journal |last=Davidson |first=Budd |date=17 June 2014 |access-date=20 February 2020}} According to Popular Aviation, by November 1935 Caudron-Renault was producing the following models: the C 272-3 Luciole (2-seat light biplane aircraft), the C 282-8 Phalene VIII (4-seat light monoplane), the C 360 (monoplane), the C 366 Atalante (a monoplane based on an earlier model), the 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).{{cite magazine |date=November 1935 |title=The world's planes and builders |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j0sGSc7ejTEC&q=societe+Caudron+Issy-Les-+Moulineaux&pg=PA329 |magazine=Popular Aviation |volume=17 |issue=5 |page=329 |location=Chicago |publisher=Aeronautical Publications}}

By 1936, Renault was hit by the Great Depression and, in 1938, it spun off Caudron-Renault into a separate, autonomous subsidiary in order to focus on its core automotive business. After France was occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II, Caudron-Renault produced trainers, auto bodies, Messerschmitt aircraft parts,{{cite magazine |last=Frazer |first=Charles D. |date=November 1944 |title=Bompower |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TyBQ0QO7Z7AC&q=Renault+Caudron&pg=RA11-PA8 |magazine=Air Force Magazine |volume=27 |issue=11 |page=8 |location=New York City |publisher=US Air Force Editorial Office }} Messerschmitt Bf 108s{{cite book |last1=Vajda |first1=Ferenc A |last2=Dancey |first2=Peter |title=German Aircraft Industry and Production, 1933-1945 |year=1998 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-853-10864-8 |page=171 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Elfmh6eJFrMC&q=Caudron+1944&pg=PA171}} the Caudron's Simoun and Goéland ranges, the Siebel Si-204, for the Wehrmacht. It also repaired aircraft. In February 1942, Willy Messerschmitt requested that Caudron produce the Messerschmitt Me 164, a Si-104 rival, but that was sabotaged. The Issy-les-Moulineaux plant was almost completely destroyed by RAF and AAF bombings that took place in September 1943, leaving it permanently out of production. 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.

Aircraft

(Association Aéroplanes Caudron Frères / Société des avions Caudron)

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{{cite web |url=http://www.aviafrance.com/aviafrance1.php?ID=9780&ID_CONSTRUCTEUR=313&ANNEE=0&ID_MISSION=0&MOTCLEF= |title=Caudron Type R |work=Aviafrance.com |date=21 August 2003 |access-date=29 January 2011}}

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{{cite web |url=http://www.aviafrance.com/aviafrance1.php?ID=10180&ID_CONSTRUCTEUR=313&ANNEE=0&ID_MISSION=0&MOTCLEF= |title=Caudron C.157 |work=Aviafrance.com |date=21 August 2003 |access-date=29 January 2011}}

{{cite web |url=http://www.aviafrance.com/aviafrance1.php?ID=10119&ID_CONSTRUCTEUR=313&ANNEE=0&ID_MISSION=0&MOTCLEF= |title=Caudron C.159 |work=Aviafrance.com |date=21 August 2003 |access-date=29 January 2011}}

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{{cite web |url=http://www.aviafrance.com/aviafrance1.php?ID=750&ID_CONSTRUCTEUR=313&ANNEE=0&ID_MISSION=0&MOTCLEF= |title=Caudron C.561 |work=Aviafrance.com |date=21 August 2003 |access-date=29 January 2011}}

{{cite web |url=http://www.aviafrance.com/aviafrance1.php?ID=9843&ID_CONSTRUCTEUR=313&ANNEE=0&ID_MISSION=0&MOTCLEF= |title=Caudron C.660 |work=Aviafrance.com |date=21 August 2003 |access-date=29 January 2011}}

{{cite web |url=http://www.aviafrance.com/aviafrance1.php?ID=9849&ID_CONSTRUCTEUR=313&ANNEE=0&ID_MISSION=0&MOTCLEF= |title=Caudron C.684 |work=Aviafrance.com |date=21 August 2003 |access-date=29 January 2011}}

{{cite web |url=http://www.aviafrance.com/aviafrance1.php?ID=9850&ID_CONSTRUCTEUR=313&ANNEE=0&ID_MISSION=0&MOTCLEF= |title=Caudron C.685 |work=Aviafrance.com |date=21 August 2003 |access-date=29 January 2011}}

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References

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External links

  • [http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/caudron.html Aviation Pioneers: An Anthology – Gaston & René Caudron]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20190203210956/http://www.air-racing-history.com/aircraft/Caudron%20C-460.htm Caudron C.460 at air-racing-history.com]
  • [https://www.aviafrance.com/constructeur.php?ID_CONSTRUCTEUR=313 Aviafrance list of Caudron aircraft]
  • [http://www.caudron-simoun.com/crbst_18.html La société des Frères Caudron ]

{{Renault}}

{{Caudron aircraft}}

{{Defunct aircraft manufacturers of France}}

Category:Renault

Category:Defunct aircraft manufacturers of France

Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1909

Category:Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1944

Category:French companies established in 1909

Category:1944 disestablishments in France

Category:1933 mergers and acquisitions