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2016-05-01
Dassault Aviation: From the dawn of aviation to the present
Since the dawn of aviation in the early 20th century, Dassault Aviation has stood out through the design and construction of a large number of aircraft of all different types.
From the Éclair propeller in 1916 to the Falcon 8X in 2015, Dassault has turned out over 100 prototypes reflecting the steady progress in advanced aeronautical technology.
As early as the First World War, Marcel Dassault formed a trusted team of collaborators. He created a company to manufacture Éclair propellers in 1916, then in 1918 he founded the Société d’études aéronautique (SEA). This company designed and built the SEA IV twin-seat pursuit plane, and the French army placed an order for 1,000.
After stepping away from the aviation sector during the 1920s, Marcel Dassault formed a new team in 1930. They would build a series of airplanes, ranging from the all-metal MB-60 trimotor postal plane to the MB-200 and MB-210 heavy bombers, along with the MB-160 four-engine transport and the MB-152 single-seat fighter.
During the Second World War, Marcel Dassault refused to collaborate with the occupying forces. He was first imprisoned, then deported to Buchenwald.
Shortly after returning to France, in April 1945, he got back into business, quickly designing a new model for the French air force, the MD 315 Flamant transport aircraft. But it was in the emerging field of jet aircraft that the newly named Dassault company would earn its credentials.
The MD 450 Ouragan, predecessor to the Mystère – Étendard family, would record the French aircraft industry’s first post-war export sales, to India. The Mystère II was the first French plane to break the sound barrier, while the Mystère IV provided solid recognition of Dassault’s expertise, The Étendard IV M and its successor, the Super Étendard, were deployed on France’s aircraft carriers, the Foch and Clemenceau.
The Mirage III program kicked off in the mid-50s, marking the introduction of Mach 2 capable fighters, along with a decisive breakthrough in export markets for the Mirage family.
Dassault then participated in France’s nuclear deterrent force by building the Mirage IV strategic bomber, allowing the company to learn new techniques, especially concerning high-temperature materials. Dassault also diversified its scope of research, including such advanced areas as vertical takeoff (Mirage III V) and variable geometry wings (Mirage G). These two achievements, a world first for a single company, clearly showed the ability of its design engineers to develop solutions combining originality and high performance.
At the same time, Dassault’s development of swept wing models would give rise to the Mirage F1, deployed by 11 countries worldwide.
Dassault was perhaps better known at the time for its military aircraft, but it also turned out excellent civil models. Technical solutions developed for the Communauté twin-engine liaison plane were combined with solutions from the Mystère IV, enabling Dassault to create the Mystère 20 business jet, the first model in the Mystère-Falcon family. It was the United States that sealed the reputation of a Dassault product, since Pan Am was the first to order this model, initiating a breakthrough in the American market. This first bizjet would lead to a smaller derivative, the Falcon 10 twinjet, and the larger Falcon 50 trijet, offering transatlantic range. The success of the subsequent Falcon 900 and Falcon 2000 models in the 1980s and 1990s confirmed Dassault’s technological expertise in premium business jets.
Dassault even entered the commercial transport market with the Mercure, a single-aisle commercial twinjet with 150 seats, operated for many years by French airline Air Inter.
In 1969 Dassault merged with Breguet Aviation, creating Avions Marcel Dassault - Breguet Aviation (AMD-BA). This merger expanded the company’s international reach, through the maritime patrol aircraft Atlantic, then the Atlantique 2, the Jaguar ground attack model and the Alpha Jet trainer.
Dassault continued to incorporate state-of-the-art technologies during the 1970s, with the delta-wing fighters Mirage 2000 and Mirage 4000, which saw the introduction of innovations such as composite materials and fly-by-wire controls. The company also developed a computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system known as CATIA. Now used worldwide, this sophisticated system largely confirms Dassault’s high-tech expertise.
Dassault was also active in the space sector, starting in the 1960s, with the MD 620 missile, design studies for the TAS 1 and 2 space vehicles, and a thermal protection project for the U.S. Space Shuttle. Dassault Aviation makes the main components in the pyrotechnic system on Europe’s Ariane launch vehicle.
Serge Dassault became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 1986. Four years later the Société des avions Marcel Dassault - Breguet Aviation was renamed Dassault Aviation. Charles Edelstenne became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 2000, followed by Éric Trappier in 2013. Part of the Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault, Dassault Aviation is the only aerospace company in the world that still belongs to its founding family.
Today, Dassault Aviation offers a family of combat aircraft (the Rafale, in single- and twin-seat, air force and naval versions), along with the Falcon family of business jets (Falcon 2000LXS, Falcon 2000S, Falcon 900LX, Falcon 5X, Falcon 7X and Falcon 8X).
In just 15 years, fast-paced progress in information technology has moved design departments from drawing boards to computerized 3D design. Physical models have disappeared, replaced by virtual digital models, enabling the first item produced to be directly operational. This industrial revolution was made possible by product lifecycle management (PLM) software from Dassault Systèmes. This approach is already widespread in the aerospace and automotive sectors, and is expanding to many other sectors.
Dassault Aviation is now gearing up for the future as prime contractor for nEUROn, a European program for an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) technology demonstrator, leading contributors from Sweden, Greece, Switzerland, Spain and Italy. Drawing on its skills and expertise, Dassault Aviation has also shown its interest in developing medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) drone systems.
As a major player in the French industrial landscape for many years, Dassault Aviation boasts proven high-tech expertise that makes it one of the world’s leading plane-makers. The company’s two-pronged success in high-performance combat aircraft and Falcon business jets is largely due to the outstanding men and women who work for the company.
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