Avions Fairey
Encyclopedia
Avions Fairey was the Belgian-based subsidiary of the British Fairey Aviation
that built Fairey aircraft designs for the Belgian government.
) set out to replace its old aircraft. Accordingly, Belgian officers attended the Hendon
Air Display where they saw a Fairey Firefly and met Fairey staff. The Firefly toured Belgian air bases in 1930 and met with approval from pilots. This led to a contract for 12 UK-built Firefly II to be followed by a further 33 aircraft built in Belgium.
Fairey already had a number of Belgians in key roles in the company; E O Tips and Marcel Lobelle
had joined during the First World War
. Tips went to Belgium to set up the subsidiary company. He based the new company near Charleroi
. The fighter ace Fernand Jacquet
who operated a flying school nearby joined the company in 1931.
Avions Fairey received further orders for Fireflies followed by Fairey Fox
es which would be the main aircraft of the Belgian Air Force; being used as a fighter, bomber and training aircraft.
E.O. Tips designed a number of light civil aircraft at Avions Fairey; the "Tipsy" family of aircraft. After the 1933 16 hp Tipsy, came the S2 with a more powerful 32 hp engine. The Tipsy B
was a side-by-side seat training aircraft. A tandem trainer was the Tipsy M designed for the Belgian Air Force but overlooked for the SV4b. Tipsy series was successful and licence rights for production were sold in the UK and South Africa
.
Most of Avions Fairey work was on military contracts. The contact with the Belgian military led to Fairey developing the Fairey Fantôme as a followup to the Firefly for the Belgians. Of the three prototypes, two ended up in Spain (via the USSR) the third as a test aircraft with the RAF.
Although they ordered 12 Fairey Battle
s in 1936 to replace the Fox, no further orders came until an order for Hawker Hurricane
s to be built in Belgium. However, on 10 May 1940, the factory was heavily bombed by the Germans.
The company personnel evacuated to France, and then left for England. Their ship was sunk by German bombers outside St Nazaire and eight Fairey staff were killed; the survivors worked for the parent company during the Second World War
.
by servicing C-47 Dakotas of the Air Force; this was then extended to other aircraft.
Avions Fairey returned to production as a joint venture with Fokker to build Gloster Meteor
jet fighters 240 were built between the companies for the Dutch and Belgian air forces.
Tipsy development continued; the Tipsy Junior single seater followed by the Tipsy Belfair. Sales were poor due to a glut of ex-military aircraft. in 1957 the Tipsy Nipper
which was a very low cost aircraft was produced either assembled or in kit form.
In 1953, Avions Fairey was contracted to produce 256 Hawker Hunter
fuselages for the Dutch and Belgian air Force. this lasted until 1958. Avions Fairey continued in service contracts and in conjunction with SABCA Lockheed F-104 Starfighter
s under licence from 1962.
After Fairey UK bought the Britten-Norman
company, their Islanders were built in Belgium and Romania and a Trislander production line started in Belgium. Islanders built in Romania continued to be ferried to Britten-Norman for finishing flight certification as did all aircraft built in Belgium. Fairey UK had its own financial difficulties and the Belgian government bought Avions Fairey to preserve the Belgian F-16
project.
On 1 June 1976, the SONACA
company was created from Avions Fairey.
Fairey Aviation
The Fairey Aviation Company Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer of the first half of the 20th century based in Hayes in Greater London and Heaton Chapel and RAF Ringway in Greater Manchester...
that built Fairey aircraft designs for the Belgian government.
History
In the late 1920s, the Aéronautique Militaire (Belgian Air ForceBelgian Air Force
The Air Component, formerly the Belgian Air Force, is the air arm of the Belgian Armed Forces. Originally founded in 1909, it is one of the world's first air forces, and was a pioneer in aerial combat during the First World War...
) set out to replace its old aircraft. Accordingly, Belgian officers attended the Hendon
Hendon
Hendon is a London suburb situated northwest of Charing Cross.-History:Hendon was historically a civil parish in the county of Middlesex. The manor is described in Domesday , but the name, 'Hendun' meaning 'at the highest hill', is earlier...
Air Display where they saw a Fairey Firefly and met Fairey staff. The Firefly toured Belgian air bases in 1930 and met with approval from pilots. This led to a contract for 12 UK-built Firefly II to be followed by a further 33 aircraft built in Belgium.
Fairey already had a number of Belgians in key roles in the company; E O Tips and Marcel Lobelle
Marcel Lobelle
Marcel Lobelle was a Belgian aeronautical engineer who spent his professional career working in Britain.He was born in Kortrijk, Flanders, and fought in the Belgian Army at the start of World War I, with the 1st Regiment of Grenadiers. He was seriously wounded in the fighting for Tervaete during...
had joined during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Tips went to Belgium to set up the subsidiary company. He based the new company near Charleroi
Charleroi
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
. The fighter ace Fernand Jacquet
Fernand Jacquet
Captain-Commandant Fernand Maximillian Leon Jacquet was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories. He was the first Belgian pilot to score an aerial victory, on 17 April 1915, and became the first Belgian ace on 1 February 1917. He was also the first Belgian pilot to fly his...
who operated a flying school nearby joined the company in 1931.
Avions Fairey received further orders for Fireflies followed by Fairey Fox
Fairey Fox
The Fairey Fox was a British light bomber and fighter biplane of the 1920s and 1930s. It was originally produced in Britain for the RAF, but continued in production and use in Belgium long after it was retired in Britain.-Fox I:...
es which would be the main aircraft of the Belgian Air Force; being used as a fighter, bomber and training aircraft.
E.O. Tips designed a number of light civil aircraft at Avions Fairey; the "Tipsy" family of aircraft. After the 1933 16 hp Tipsy, came the S2 with a more powerful 32 hp engine. The Tipsy B
Tipsy B
The Tipsy B was a small sports two-seat monoplane designed by E.O.Tips, and built in both Belgium and the UK. A total of 42 was built, and a few are still flying.-Design and development:...
was a side-by-side seat training aircraft. A tandem trainer was the Tipsy M designed for the Belgian Air Force but overlooked for the SV4b. Tipsy series was successful and licence rights for production were sold in the UK and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Most of Avions Fairey work was on military contracts. The contact with the Belgian military led to Fairey developing the Fairey Fantôme as a followup to the Firefly for the Belgians. Of the three prototypes, two ended up in Spain (via the USSR) the third as a test aircraft with the RAF.
Although they ordered 12 Fairey Battle
Fairey Battle
The Fairey Battle was a British single-engine light bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company in the late 1930s for the Royal Air Force. The Battle was powered by the same Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that gave contemporary British fighters high performance; however, the Battle was weighed...
s in 1936 to replace the Fox, no further orders came until an order for Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s to be built in Belgium. However, on 10 May 1940, the factory was heavily bombed by the Germans.
The company personnel evacuated to France, and then left for England. Their ship was sunk by German bombers outside St Nazaire and eight Fairey staff were killed; the survivors worked for the parent company during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Post-war
After the war, Avions Fairey restarted at CharleroiCharleroi
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
by servicing C-47 Dakotas of the Air Force; this was then extended to other aircraft.
Avions Fairey returned to production as a joint venture with Fokker to build Gloster Meteor
Gloster Meteor
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
jet fighters 240 were built between the companies for the Dutch and Belgian air forces.
Tipsy development continued; the Tipsy Junior single seater followed by the Tipsy Belfair. Sales were poor due to a glut of ex-military aircraft. in 1957 the Tipsy Nipper
Tipsy Nipper
The Tipsy Nipper T.66 is a light aircraft, developed in 1952 by Ernest Oscar Tips of Avions Fairey at Gosselies in Belgium. It was designed to be easy to fly, cheap to buy and cheap to maintain. It was designed for both factory production and homebuild...
which was a very low cost aircraft was produced either assembled or in kit form.
In 1953, Avions Fairey was contracted to produce 256 Hawker Hunter
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
fuselages for the Dutch and Belgian air Force. this lasted until 1958. Avions Fairey continued in service contracts and in conjunction with SABCA Lockheed F-104 Starfighter
F-104 Starfighter
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units...
s under licence from 1962.
After Fairey UK bought the Britten-Norman
Britten-Norman
Britten-Norman is a British aircraft manufacturer owned by members of the Zawawi family from the Sultanate of Oman, making it the last remaining UK independent commercial aircraft producer....
company, their Islanders were built in Belgium and Romania and a Trislander production line started in Belgium. Islanders built in Romania continued to be ferried to Britten-Norman for finishing flight certification as did all aircraft built in Belgium. Fairey UK had its own financial difficulties and the Belgian government bought Avions Fairey to preserve the Belgian F-16
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
project.
On 1 June 1976, the SONACA
SONACA
SONACA is a Belgian company which in 1979 received its name after its parent company Fairey fell into financial heavy in 1977 and the Belgian government felt compelled to take over its Belgian subsidiary Avions Fairey at Gosselies. This was done partly to calm social unrest but also to keep the...
company was created from Avions Fairey.