Kellner-Béchereau

Avions Kellner-Béchereau, known as Kellner-Béchereau, was a French aircraft manufacturer of the early 20th century.

Avions Kellner-Béchereau
IndustryAeronautics, defence
FateMerged
SuccessorMorane-Saulnier
Founded1931
FounderLouis Béchereau
Defunct1942
Headquarters
Boulogne-Billancourt
,
France
Key people
Georges Paulin
ProductsAircraft
Kellner-Béchereau E.1.

History

The company was founded in 1931 by Louis Béchereau together with the French automobile carriage-builder Georges Kellner.[1] The factory, located at Boulogne-Billancourt, began building light monoplanes.[2][3] In 1936–37 Avions Kellner-Béchereau built a short series of small monoplanes exploiting one of Louis Béchereau's patents, a full span lateral division of the wing into two sections forming a "double wing".

The wing was first tested on the single-seat Kellner-Béchereau E.1 on 1936, which was followed by two larger and more powerful two-seaters, the Kellner-Béchereau EC.4 and ED.5. Both of these were designed to meet the French Air Ministry's requirement for a pre-military trainer aircraft to be used by the clubs set up in the "Aviation Populaire" programme.[4] The Kellner-Béchereau designs, however, were not ordered for the Aviation Populaire programme, the Air Ministry opting in favour of the Caudron C.270 and the Salmson Cri-Cri which were both bought in large numbers. Instead, Kellner-Béchereau, along with other manufacturers, built the Cri-Cri under licence.[4]

On the eve of the Second World War, Louis Béchereau conceived a monoplane, the Kellner-Béchereau E.60, also known as K.B.E 60, an embarked monoplane for the aircraft carriers of the French Navy, but its development was frustrated by events.[5]

In 1939 Georges Paulin, who in 1934 had designed the Peugeot 601 Éclipse convertible automobile,[6][7] joined the aerodynamical department of the Kellner-Béchereau factory. A member of the French Resistance, he was arrested in 1941 and executed the following year. The Kellner-Béchereau factory was destroyed by bombing in 1942 and the Avions Kellner-Béchereau company was subsequently merged with Morane-Saulnier. Louis Béchereau was given a post as a director at Morane-Saulnier until his retirement in 1950.

Aircraft

References
  1. Grandes figures gadzarts - Louis Béchereau
  2. Aviafrance - Avions Kellner-Béchereau
  3. Kellner-Bechereau UD 1933
  4. Grey, C.G. (1972). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1938. London: David & Charles. p. 127c. ISBN 0-7153-5734-4.
  5. Kellner-Bechereau E-60 - Уголок неба
  6. "Disappearing Top On Auto Worked By Push Button". Popular Mechanics. 63 (2): 253. February 1935. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  7. "Latest Foreign Auto Has Disappearing Top". Popular Mechanics. 65 (1): 53. January 1936. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  8. "Kellner-Béchereau 28VD". www.aviafrance.com. 2003-08-21. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
  9. Léglise, Pierre (October 1933). TECHNICAL MEMORANDUMS NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR AERONAUTICS; No.724; THE 1933 CONTEST FOR THE DEUTSCH DE LA MEURTHE TROPHY; AIRPLANES PARTICIPATING IN THE CONTEST (PDF). NACA. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  10. "Kellner-Béchereau E-4". www.aviafrance.com. 2003-08-21. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
  11. "Kellner-Béchereau E-5". www.aviafrance.com. 2003-08-21. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
  12. "Kellner-Béchereau E-60". www.aviafrance.com. 2003-08-21. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
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