Félix Amiot
Encyclopedia
Félix Amiot was a French
aircraft
constructor.
Amiot's first aircraft was built in a Paris garage in 1913, but it was not until 1916, during the First World War, that he became seriously involved in construction. The Minister of Defence
granted a contract to SECM , owned by the Wertheimer brothers, Paul and Pierre, together with Félix Amiot. SECM and Amiot functioned as sub-contractors and assemblers only, and did not produce their own designs.
After the war, SECM and Amiot constructed light aircraft. In 1929 the company made a large sum of money selling its interest in the Lorraine-Dietrich
engine company to the government. In 1934, controversially, the Lorraine company, then known as SGA, was sold to Amiot-SECM and Marcel Bloch for a fraction of the price the government had paid five years earlier.
As well as SGA, and the original SECM-Amiot works at Le Bourget
, Amiot controlled the CAN at Cherbourg. In the early phases of rearmament, Amiot scored a considerable success with the Amiot 143
, widely considered one of the ugliest aircraft, along with its contemporary the Potez 542, to have flown.
As the pace of rearmament increased in the late 1930s, Amiot scored another success, this time with the elegant Amiot 354
bomber. With the fall of Paris in June 1940, Amiot and 3000 of his workers headed south, to the unoccupied zone, where he established a new factory at Marseilles. During the war, Amiot co-operated with the German
occupiers to protect his interests, and those of the exiled Wertheimers, then working in the United States
. Amiot became a subcontractor for the Junkers company, building 370 Junkers Ju 52/3m
aircraft. Production continued postwar under the designation Amiot A.A.C. 1, mainly for the French military forces, but also for airline use.
After the war, and the second wave of nationalisations, Amiot concentrated on shipbuilding
at his Cherbourg works, . There he built various small craft, including racing vessels. Among these ships were the fast missile boats, built for Israel
, which escaped from Cherbourg while under embargo
in 1969.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
constructor.
Amiot's first aircraft was built in a Paris garage in 1913, but it was not until 1916, during the First World War, that he became seriously involved in construction. The Minister of Defence
Minister of Defence (France)
The Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs is the French government cabinet member charged with running the military of France....
granted a contract to SECM , owned by the Wertheimer brothers, Paul and Pierre, together with Félix Amiot. SECM and Amiot functioned as sub-contractors and assemblers only, and did not produce their own designs.
After the war, SECM and Amiot constructed light aircraft. In 1929 the company made a large sum of money selling its interest in the Lorraine-Dietrich
Lorraine-Dietrich
Lorraine-Dietrich was a French automobile and aircraft engine manufacturer from 1896 until 1935, created when railway locomotive manufacturer Société Lorraine des Anciens Etablissments de Dietrich and Cie branched into the manufacture of automobiles...
engine company to the government. In 1934, controversially, the Lorraine company, then known as SGA, was sold to Amiot-SECM and Marcel Bloch for a fraction of the price the government had paid five years earlier.
As well as SGA, and the original SECM-Amiot works at Le Bourget
Le Bourget
Le Bourget is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.A very small part of Le Bourget airport lies on the territory of the commune of Le Bourget, which nonetheless gave its name to the airport. Most of the airport lies on the territory of the...
, Amiot controlled the CAN at Cherbourg. In the early phases of rearmament, Amiot scored a considerable success with the Amiot 143
Amiot 143
The Amiot 143M was a late 1930s French medium bomber designed to meet 1928 specifications for a bomber capable of day/night bombing, long-range reconnaissance and bomber escort.-Design and development:...
, widely considered one of the ugliest aircraft, along with its contemporary the Potez 542, to have flown.
As the pace of rearmament increased in the late 1930s, Amiot scored another success, this time with the elegant Amiot 354
Amiot 354
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography*Breffort, Dominique & Jouineau, André. French Aircraft from 1939 to 1942*Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Seven Bombers and Reconnaissance Aircraft. London:Macdonald, 1967....
bomber. With the fall of Paris in June 1940, Amiot and 3000 of his workers headed south, to the unoccupied zone, where he established a new factory at Marseilles. During the war, Amiot co-operated with the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
occupiers to protect his interests, and those of the exiled Wertheimers, then working in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Amiot became a subcontractor for the Junkers company, building 370 Junkers Ju 52/3m
Junkers Ju 52
The Junkers Ju 52 was a German transport aircraft manufactured from 1932 to 1945. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with over 12 air carriers including Swissair and Deutsche Luft Hansa as an airliner and freight hauler...
aircraft. Production continued postwar under the designation Amiot A.A.C. 1, mainly for the French military forces, but also for airline use.
After the war, and the second wave of nationalisations, Amiot concentrated on shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
at his Cherbourg works, . There he built various small craft, including racing vessels. Among these ships were the fast missile boats, built for Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, which escaped from Cherbourg while under embargo
Embargo
An embargo is the partial or complete prohibition of commerce and trade with a particular country, in order to isolate it. Embargoes are considered strong diplomatic measures imposed in an effort, by the imposing country, to elicit a given national-interest result from the country on which it is...
in 1969.
Further reading
- Frédéric Patart, L’aventure Amiot-CMN, des hommes, le ciel et la mer., Éditions des Champs, Bricqueboscq, 1998