Antoinette Barrel (1909): the world’s first aircraft simulator Built by the Antoinette aircraft company in the workshops of Mourmelon (Champagne, France), this ball-joint mounted cockpit was manually operated in the yaw, roll and pitch axes, and was used…

Dassault Falcon 10: French business jet The Dassault Mystère/Falcon 10 is an early corporate jet aircraft developed by French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation. Despite its numbering sequence it was actually developed after the Falcon 20, and although…

Aérospatiale SN 601 Corvette: French private jet During the 1950s and 1960s, the French government, which had taken a significant interest in the re-establishment and growth of its national aviation industries in the aftermath of the Second World War, developed…

Aérospatiale SA 340 Gazelle: French anti-tank helicopter The Gazelle originated in a French Army requirement for a lightweight observation helicopter intended to replace the Aérospatiale Alouette III; early on in the aircraft’s development, the decision was…

SNCASO SO 1221 Djinn: French light helicopter Positive experiences that had gained from the earlier Ariel experimental tip jet helicopter had given French aviation company Sud-Ouest a strong desire to pursue development of a practical light helicopter that…

Saab J350E Draken: Sweden fighter-interceptor The Saab 35 Draken is a Swedish fighter-interceptor developed and manufactured by Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (SAAB) between 1955 and 1974. Development of the Saab 35 Draken started in 1948 as the Swedish air…

SEPECAT Jaguar A: ground attack aircraft The Jaguar programme began in the early 1960s, in response to a British requirement (Air Staff Target 362) for an advanced supersonic jet trainer to replace the Folland Gnat T1 and Hawker Hunter T7, and a French requirement…

Nord 1101 Noralpha: French communications and liaison monoplane Made by SNCAN in France First flight: 1945 Capacity: 3 passengers Engine: Renault 6Q 10 Power: 230 HP Speed: 305 km/h Range: 1500 km Ceiling: 5900 m Aeroscopia (Toulouse) Nord-Aviation (English:…

Cessna 337 Super Skymaster: American air taxi aircraft The Cessna Skymaster is an American twin-engine civil utility aircraft built in a push-pull configuration. Its engines are mounted in the nose and rear of its pod-style fuselage. Twin booms extend aft…

Airbus E-Fan: prototype of an electric aircraft The Airbus E-Fan is a prototype two-seater electric aircraft that was under development by Airbus. It was flown in front of the world press at the Farnborough Airshow in the United Kingdom in July 2014. The…

Swearingen SA226-AT Merlin IVA: American business aircraft The Merlin was an evolution of earlier modification programs performed by Swearingen Aircraft. Ed Swearingen started the developments that led to the Merlin through gradual modifications to the Beechcraft…

EADS Colomban Cri-cri (F-PRCQ): home built recreational aircraft The Colomban Cri-Cri, also spelled Cricri, is the smallest twin-engined manned aircraft in the world, designed in the early 1970s by French aeronautical engineer Michel Colomban. The name Cri…

Vought F-8E (FN) Crusader: American fighter In September 1952, the United States Navy announced a requirement for a new fighter. It was to have a top speed of Mach 1.2 at 30,000 ft (9,144.0 m) with a climb rate of 25,000 ft/min (127.0 m/s), and a landing…

ATR 42-320 On 4 November 1981, a formal co-operation agreement was signed by Aeritalia chairman Renato Bonifacio and Aerospatiale chairman Jacques Mitterrand in Paris. This agreement signaled not only the merger of their efforts, but also of their separate…

Airbus A320ceo/neo The Airbus A320 family is a series of narrow-body passenger aircraft developed and manufactured by Airbus. It is the best-selling passenger aircraft in history. The A320 programme was launched in March 1984. The maiden flight took place…

Airbus A380-841 (F-WXXL): world’s largest passenger airliner In mid-1988, Airbus engineers led by Jean Roeder began work in secret on the development of an ultra-high-capacity airliner (UHCA), both to complete its own range of products and to break the dominance…

Chagnes Microstar Variviggen “Duck” (F-PYFP): hand-made light aircraft Made in France by Léo Chagnes First flight: 1979 Engine: two MicroTurbo TRS18 jet engines Speed: 400 km/h (256 knots) Range: 400 km (245 nautical miles) Ceiling: 8 km (26,200 ft) Aer…

ATR 72-600 (F-WWEY): Franco-Italian turboprop regional airliner The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop, short-haul regional airliner developed and produced in France and Italy by aircraft manufacturer ATR (Avions de transport régional or Aerei da Trasporto…

Dassault Falcon 20GF (F-GBTM): French private jet During the 1950s and 1960s, the French government, which had taken a significant interest in the re-establishment and growth of its national aviation industries in the aftermath of the Second World War, developed…