Franco-British Aviation Explained

Franco-British Aviation
Founders:Louis Schreck, André Beaumont
Hq Location City:London
Hq Location Country:United Kingdom
Areas Served:-->
Products:Military aircraft
Owners:-->
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Successor:Hydravions Louis Schreck FBA, Société des Avions Bernard

Franco-British Aviation (usually known by its initials FBA) was an aircraft manufacturer of the early 20th century, headquartered in London and with its production facilities around Paris.[1] Specialising in seaplanes, it was established in 1913 by Louis Schreck and André Beaumont.

History

The company was established in 1913 by Louis Schreck and André Beaumont.

Louis Schreck was technical director of the French subsidiary in Argenteuil. The first activity of the company was the development of a flying boat hull derived from Donnet-Leveque Type A. The aircraft, a biplane with a single engine mounted between the wings with a pusher propeller, was originally called FBA-Leveque, then it was renamed FBA Type A.

It is from this first model that the manufacturer derived various models that would be used by the forces of Triple Entente: France, United Kingdom and the Russian Empire.

During World War I, the company produced large numbers of small flying boats for the navies of France, Russia, Italy, and the UK.[2]

Following the war, the company was reorganised as Hydravions Louis Schreck FBA as a purely French concern and continued building aircraft in the same class. One of these, the FBA 17, sold in quantity.

In 1922, Émile Paumier became technical director and developed the brand models from the FBA model Type 10. From the Type 19 on, the company abandoned the conventional configuration with pusher propeller to finally adopt the tractor propeller.

The company could not repeat its wartime successes. The lack of orders, especially for civilian models, led to production being stopped in 1931. In 1934, on the verge of collapse, the workshops of the factory were sold to Bernard. Bernard was also struggling and itself failed later in 1935.

Aircraft

NameTypeProductionNotesFirst flightOperators
Seaplane single engine biplane recognitionAlso called FBA-Leveque 1913Austria-Hungary, Brazil, Denmark, France, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom, Russia
FBA Type Bsingle engine biplane seaplane 1501915France, United Kingdom
single engine biplane seaplane 78+1916
FBA Type Hsingle engine biplane seaplane 1915
FBA Type Ssingle engine biplane seaplane 1917
FBA 10single engine biplane seaplane 21922
FBA 11single engine biplane training seaplane 1Variant of Type C for training1923
FBA 13single engine biplane training seaplane 11922
FBA 14single engine biplane seaplane 20Development of Type 11 trainerFrance
FBA 16single engine biplane seaplane 1
FBA 17Single-engine two-seater biplane training seaplane 348Produced under licence in the United States as the Viking1923Brazil, France, Poland, United States
FBA 19Amphibian biplane single-engine two-seat reconnaissance9A prototype version 19 HMT3 3 seater was built1924
FBA 21single-engine civil transport amphibious biplane 7Civilianized Type 19 for 4 passengers1925
FBA 171Type 17 variant for use on catapult1
FBA 172Type 17 variant for use on catapult71932
FBA 270Biplane seaplane single engine two-seat11929France
FBA 271Amphibian biplane single-engine two-seat21930
FBA 290Prototype amphibious seaplane single engine biplane 4 places11931
FBA 291Variant prototype amphibious type 2901
FBA 293Variant of the type 291 – four-seat amphibious liaison6France
FBA 294Variant of the type 293 – four-seat amphibious liaison2France
FBA 310amphibious touring monoplane91930

Notes and References

  1. Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aircraft Manufacturers: From the Pioneers to the Present Day. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Sutton Pub. (2nd ed.), 2005, .
  2. Mondey, David. The International Encyclopedia of Aviation. New York: Crown, 1977,, p. 220.