The Société anonyme des ateliers d'aviation Louis Breguet (), also known as Breguet Aviation (), was a French aircraft manufacturer.

The company was set up in 1911 by the aviation pioneer Louis Charles Breguet. Breguet Aviation was active during the First World War, producing numerous military aircraft, such as the pioneering metal Breguet 14 day-bomber, for the Allies. During the interwar period, the firm's aircraft set several records for non-stop crossings of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as with the unconventional Breguet-Dorand Gyroplane Laboratoire. It was active during the Second World War, surviving the conflict and largely focusing on commercial transport aircraft during the postwar years. Its most notable military programmes during the Cold War include the Breguet 1150 Atlantic and - with British Aircraft Corporation - the SEPECAT Jaguar. During 1971, Breguet Aviation merged with Dassault to form Avions Marcel Dassault-Breguet Aviation, which was subsequently rebranded as Dassault Aviation.

History

The company was founded during 1911 by Louis-Charles Breguet, an early French airplane designer and builder, and his brother, Jacques.

That same year, Breguet's first airplane established a new speed record during a flight. In 1912, Breguet constructed his first seaplane.

thumb|left|[[Breguet-Dorand Gyroplane Laboratoire in flight, circa 1933]]

During the interwar period, Breguet-built aircraft set several records; one plane performed the first non-stop crossing of the South Atlantic in 1927, while another made a 4,500-mile (7,242-kilometer) flight across the Atlantic Ocean during 1933, which was the longest non-stop Atlantic flight up to that time.

In response to a NATO specification for a long-range maritime patrol aircraft to replace the Lockheed P2V Neptune, Breguet submitted its own design, the Br 1150, which was chosen as the winner in late 1958. Accordingly, a multinational consortium, Société d'Étude et de Construction de Breguet Atlantic (SECBAT) was set up to develop and build this aircraft, which was named the 1150 Atlantic. An initial order for 60 Atlantics 40 for France and 20 for Germany was placed in 1963; deliveries of the Atlantic commenced during 1965. The production line was reactivated following further orders from the Netherlands and Italy; this second production batch made its deliveries between 1972 and 1974. During 1978, the French Government authorised development of an updated version of the Atlantic, the Atlantic Nouvelle Génération or Atlantique 2, which involved little change to either airframe or engines while equipment and avionics were extensively revised. Deliveries started in 1989 with 28 eventually built, from an original requirement for 42.

thumb|[[Breguet 1150 Atlantic|1150 Atlantic in flight, 2006]]

During the 1960s, Breguet Aviation became involved in the multinational joint venture company SEPECAT (Société Européenne de Production de l'Avion d'École de Combat et d'Appui Tactique – the "European company for the production of a combat trainer and tactical support aircraft") together with the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) to produce the Jaguar strike aircraft. Production of components was split between Breguet and BAC, while the aircraft themselves would be assembled on two production lines; one in the UK and one in France. To avoid any duplication of work, each aircraft component had only one source.

Reportedly, collaboration between BAC and Breguet went relatively well. However, following Dassault's takeover of Breguet during 1971, the firm encouraged acceptance of its own designs, such as the Super Étendard naval attack aircraft and the Mirage F1 interceptor, for which the newly combined company would receive more workshare and profit, over the Jaguar.

Aircraft

  • Breguet-Richet Gyroplane (1907) - experimental single-seat helicopter-like craft with four rotors.
  • Breguet-Richet Gyroplane No.2 (1908) Tandem biplane with a pair of large inclined propellers providing both thrust and lift.
  • Breguet Type I (1909) - Single-seat tractor configuration biplane with boxkite-like tail on booms.
  • Breguet Type II (1910) - Development of the Type I, with a tricycle undercarriage and the tail carried at the end of a fuselage-like structure and a pair of booms.
  • Breguet Type III (1910) - Development of Type II, three-seat, rotary engine
  • Breguet Type IV (1911) - Development of Type III: the first aircraft to be produced in quantity by Breguet.

thumb|Breguet Type R.U1 No.40i at the [[Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris.]]

  • Breguet Type R.U1 (1911) - Single-engine biplane
  • Breguet Aerhydroplane (1913) - Single-engine one-seat seaplane. Did not fly
  • Breguet 4 (1914) - Single-engine two-seat biplane bomber. Pusher configuration
  • Breguet 5 (1915) - Single-engine two-seat biplane escort fighter. Variant of Bre.4
  • Breguet 6 (1915) - Version of Breguet 5 with different engine
  • Breguet 12 (1918) - Version of Breguet 5 with 37mm cannon and searchlight (night fighter)
  • Breguet 14 (1916) - Single-engine two-seat biplane bomber aircraft
  • Breguet 16 (1918) - Larger version of Breguet 14. Bomber aircraft
  • Breguet 17 (1918) - Smaller version of Breguet 14. Fighter aircraft.
  • Breguet 19 (1922) - Single-engine two-seat biplane reconnaissance/light bomber/sport aircraft
  • Breguet 20 Leviathan (1922) - Twin/four-engine 20-seat airliner
  • Breguet 22 (1922-3) - Breguet 20 development
  • Breguet 26T (1926) - Single-engine biplane eight-passenger airliner
  • Breguet 280T (1928) - Development of 26T with improved fuselage aerodynamics
  • License built Short S.8 Calcutta (1928) - Three-engine fifteen-seat biplane transport aircraft
  • Breguet 27 (1929) - Single-engine two-seat biplane reconnaissance aircraft
  • Breguet 270 (1929) - Development of 27 using steel chassis
  • Breguet 393T (1931) - Three-engine biplane airliner
  • Breguet 410 - Twin-engine light bomber
  • Breguet-Dorand Gyroplane Laboratoire (1935) - Helicopter prototype
  • Breguet G.111 (1949) - coaxial helicopter prototype
  • Breguet 460 Vultur - Twin-engine light bomber
  • Breguet 470 Fulgur (1936) - Twin-engine airliner, only one example built.
  • Breguet 480 - Long-range bomber project
  • Breguet 482 (1947) - Four-engine bomber, designed prior to war, only a single example built
  • Breguet 500 Colmar - Transport development of the Br.480
  • Breguet 521 Bizerte (1933) - Development of the S.8 Calcutta. Long-range patrol flying boat
  • Breguet 530 Saigon - Civilian version of 521
  • Breguet 693 (1938) - Twin-engine two-seat monoplane ground attack/fighter aircraft
  • Breguet 730 (1938) - Four-engine long-range flying boat. . Also Br.731
  • Breguet 763 Deux-Ponts (1949) - Br.761/763/765 Four-engine double-deck large airliner. Piston engines.
  • Breguet 790 Nautilus - Single-engine flying boat
  • Breguet 850 - 28-engine airliner, never built.
  • Breguet 851 - Revision of the Breguet 850 project.
  • Le transport de 500 tonnes - 60-engine airliner, planned as an enlarged variant of the Breguet 850, never built.
  • Le transport de 1000 tonnes - 120-engine behemoth airliner, based on Breguet 850, never built.
  • Breguet 890 Mercure - Civil/military transport
  • Breguet Br 900 Louisette - (1948) Single-seat competition sailplane.
  • Breguet Br 901 Mouette - (1954) Single-seat competition sailplane.
  • Breguet Br 904 Nymphale - (1956) Two-seat sailplane.
  • Breguet Br 905 Fauvette - (1958) Single-seat competition sailplane.
  • Breguet 940 - Four-engine STOL transport aircraft. Turboprop engines
  • Breguet 941 (1961) - Four-engine STOL transport aircraft. Turboprop engines
  • Breguet 960 Vultur (1951) - Br.960 Twin-engine two-seat naval anti-submarine aircraft. Jet engine and turboprop engine (mixed power)
  • Breguet 1001 Taon (1957) - Br.1001 Single-engine single-seat jet strike aircraft.
  • Breguet 1050 Alizé (1956) - Br.1050 Single-engine three-seat naval anti-submarine aircraft. Turboprop engine

thumb|right|Breguet 1100

  • Breguet 1100 (1957) - Br.1100 Twin-engine jet fighter
  • Breguet 1150 Atlantic (1961) - Br.1150 Twin-engine naval reconnaissance aircraft. Turboprop engines

Leduc aircraft

  • Leduc 0.10
  • Leduc 0.21
  • Leduc 0.22

Automobile production

Before 1914, in addition to producing aircraft, the firm produced a few six cylinder-engined cars.

During the Second World War, the company produced an electric car powered by batteries and propelled by an "off-the-shelf" motor from Paris-Rhône. The motor was capable of producing two different levels of output. "First gear" and "Reverse gear" were provided with 36 volts while "Second gear" equated to 72 volts.