Société nationale de constructions aéronautiques Nord Aviation () was a state-owned French aircraft manufacturer. The bulk of its facilities were based at the Bourges airport in central France.
On 1 October 1954, Nord Aviation was created as a result of the merger of SFECMAS and SNCAN. The company's name, Nord, also became commonly used as a generic name referring to the Pingouin light aircraft. It manufactured numerous aircraft; perhaps Nord Aviation's most successful aircraft was the Nord Noratlas, a utility transport used by both military and civilian customers. Other aircraft included general aviation, trainers and experimental aircraft, as well as other transports. Nord Aviation also developed and produced its own range of missiles; perhaps the most famous of these was the Exocet, a sea-skimming anti-ship missile.
On 1 March 1970, Nord Aviation merged with Sud Aviation and SEREB to form the 'Société nationale d'industrie aérospatiale (SNIAS), which would soon after be renamed Aérospatiale.
History Following the end of the Second World War, France's aviation industries began to rebuild and reestablish themselves; many companies chose to consolidate and merge with one another during this period. On 1 October 1954, Nord Aviation was created as a result of the acquisition of SFECMAS (Société française d'étude et de construction de matériels aéronautiques spéciaux) by SNCAN (Société nationale de constructions aéronautiques du Nord).
A year prior to the company's creation, the development of what can be regarded as perhaps Nord Aviation's most successful aircraft, the Nord Noratlas, had been completed. Nord continued the programme to schedule, fulfilling its initial contract for 34 aircraft by 25 June 1953; the Armée de l'Air went on to order another 174 Noratlases. Eventually, a total of 228 aircraft would enter French service.Cann 2015, p. 134. In addition to this sizeable domestic appetite, the Noratlas was an export success as well; the newly formed nation of West Germany decided to address the German Air Force's requirement for new transport aircraft by ordering a total of 187 Noratlases, the first of which were delivered during 1956. While the first 25 aircraft were manufactured in France, the remaining 161 Noratlases were locally manufactured by the West German-based Flugzeugbau Nord company; such aircraft were designated as N-2501D.Jackson 1974, p. 98. Flugzeugbau Nord had been involved in the Noratlas programme from an early stage, it being the company's first post-war aviation project, having been responsible for the design and manufacture of the majority of the aircraft's fuselage."Hamburger Flugzeugbau." Flight International, 19 October 1961. pp. 619-620. In addition to these and other military customers, the Noratlas was also manufactured for the civil market, including a specialised de-militarised model designated N-2502A/B.Cann 2015, pp. 134-135.
Several of Nord Aviation's aircraft never progressed beyond the experimental stage of development. One of the more radical designs was the Nord 1500 Griffon, a ramjet-powered fighter aircraft developed during the mid-1950s to meet a French Air Force specification for a Mach 2 fighter. Two prototypes were ordered initially in a letter dated 24 August 1953, with the final contract, (No. 2003/55) in 1955; although intended to eventually fulfil a requirement for a light interceptor capable of operation from 1,000m grass runways, the two prototypes were ordered without military equipment for research purposes only. Production of the envisioned operational versions, often referred to as the Super Griffon, did not take place as it was found that the requirements could be met and exceeded with less complex and cheaper aircraft such as the more conventional Dassault Mirage III.
In addition to its range of aircraft, Nord Aviation also developed and manufactured a range of missiles; perhaps the most famous of these was the Exocet, a sea-skimming anti-ship missile. Development was started by Nord during 1967 under the designation of MM 38; its basic body design was based on the AS-30 air-to-ground tactical missile. The air-launched version of the Exocet was developed during the 1970s, it entered service with the French Navy in 1979. The missile gained a level of infamy for its use during the Falklands War of 1982, in which several British ships were damaged or sunk by Exocets launched by Argentinian forces. Both the Royal Navy destroyer and the 15,000-ton merchant ship were lost to use of the Exocet. Separately, an American frigate, the , was also damaged by two Exocet missiles launched by an Iraqi Air Force Dassault Mirage F1 while patrolling off the coast of Saudi Arabia.
On 1 March 1970, Nord Aviation merged with Sud Aviation to create Société nationale d'industrie aérospatiale (SNIAS), which was promptly renamed Aérospatiale. In turn, this company would ultimately merge into European aerospace corporation EADS in 2000, which was subsequently rebranded as the Airbus Group.
Aircraft production (for SNCAN and Nord Aviation)
Data from:Aviafrance SNCAN and Aviafrance Nord ModelYearNoteNord 1000 Pingouin1944Communications and LiaisonNord 1001 Pingouin I1946Communications and LiaisonNord 1002 Pingouin II1946Communication and LiaisonNord 1100 Noralpha1944Prototype - LiaisonNord 1101 Noralpha1946LiaisonNord 1102 NoralphaLiaisonNord 1104 Noralpha1950Liaison - Engine testNord 1110 Nord-Astazou1958Engine TestNord 1200 Norécrin1945Tourer - PrototypeNord 1201 Norécrin1947Four-seat cabin monoplaneNord 1202 Norécrin IITourerNord 1203 Norécrin II1947TourerNord 1203 Norécrin III1947TourerNord 1203 Norécrin IV1947TourerNord 1203 Norécrin V1947TourerNord 1204 Norécrin1953TourerNord 1221 Norélan1948Light TrainerNord 1222 Norélan1949Light TrainerNord 1223 NorélanLight TrainerNord 1226 NorélanEngine test bedNord 13001945Training GliderNord 1400 Noroit1948Flying BoatNord 1401 Noroit1949Flying BoatNord 1402 Noroit1949Flying BoatNord 1402A Gerfaut IA1954Delta-wing research aircraftNord 1402B Gerfaut IBDelta-wing research aircraftNord 1405 Gerfaut II1956Delta-Wing research aircraftNord 1500 Noréclair1947Carrier Torpedo BomberNord 1500 Griffon I1955Research aircraftNord 1500 Griffon II1957Research aircraftNord 16011950Research aircraftNord 1700 Norélic1947Research helicopterNord 17101950Research helicopterNord 1750 Norelfe1954Research helicopterNord 20001948Glider Nord 2100 Norazur1947Military transportNord 22001949FighterNord 2500 Noratlas1949Military transportNord 2501 Noratlas1950Military transportNord 2502 Noratlas1954Civil transportNord 2503 Noratlas1956Engine testNord 2504 Noratlas1958French Navy flying classroomNord 2506 NoratlasAssault transport versionNord 2507 NoratlasRescue versionNord 2508 Noratlas1957Cargo transportNord 28001950TrainerNord 32001954Primary trainerNord 32011954Primary trainerNord 32021957Primary trainerNord 32121957Instrument flight trainerNord 3400 Norbarbe1958Army observationNord 2601960Civil airlinerNord 2621962Civil airlinerNord 5001968VTOL researchNord CT101951Radio-controlled droneNord CT201957Radio-controlled droneNord CT411957Radio-controlled droneNord R201957Radio-controlled droneNord NC.853S1957TourerNord NC.853G1957TourerNord NC.8541957TourerNord NC.854SA1957Militarised NC.854Nord NC.8561957Nord NC.856A Norvegie1957Liaison / Observation aircraftNord NC.856B1957Four seater touring aircraftNord NC.856H1957Three-seater touring floatplaneNord NC.856N Norclub1957Four-seater touring aircraftNord NC.858S1957TourerNord NC.859S1957Tourer
Missiles AA.20 AS-20 AS-30 SS.10 SS.11 SS.12/AS.12 Exocet
References Citations
Bibliography
Cann, John P. Flight Plan Africa: Portuguese Airpower in Counterinsurgency, 1961-1974. Helion and Company, 2015. Jackson, Paul A. German Military Aviation 1956-1976. Hinckley, Leicestershire, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1976. .
External links
Nord Aviation aircraft by Aviafrance