Avions Fairey
| Industry | Aircraft manufacture |
|---|---|
| Founder | Richard Fairey |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Marcel Lobelle, Ernest Oscar Tips |
| Products | Aircraft |
Avions Fairey operated as the Belgian branch of the British company Fairey Aviation, producing aircraft primarily for the Belgian government. Eventually, this entity separated from its UK parent and evolved into what is now known as SONACA.
History
During the late 1920s, the Aéronautique Militaire (Belgian Air Force) sought to modernize its aging fleet. Belgian officers attended the Hendon Air Display, where they observed a Fairey Firefly and engaged with representatives from Fairey. After the Firefly toured various Belgian airbases in 1930, it gained positive feedback from pilots. This resulted in an initial order for 12 Firefly IIs constructed in the UK, followed by an additional 33 units manufactured domestically in Belgium.
At that time, several Belgians held significant positions within Fairey; notably, Ernest Oscar Tips and Marcel Lobelle had joined during the First World War. Tips was tasked with establishing the Belgian subsidiary, which he located near Charleroi. In 1931, fighter ace Fernand Jacquet, who ran a nearby flying school, became part of the team.
Avions Fairey secured further contracts for Fireflies and then produced Fairey Fox aircraft, which became central to the Belgian Air Force’s operations, serving roles as fighters, bombers, and trainers.
E.O. Tips was responsible for designing several light civil aircraft under Avions Fairey, collectively known as the "Tipsy" series. Following the initial 16 hp (12 kW) Tipsy model introduced in 1933, the S2 variant featured a more powerful 32 hp (24 kW) engine. The Tipsy B was designed as a side-by-side trainer, while the tandem-seat Tipsy M, intended for military training purposes with the Belgian Air Force, ultimately lost out to the SV4b. The Tipsy line achieved commercial success, with production licenses sold in both the UK and South Africa.
The majority of Avions Fairey’s output focused on military projects. Collaboration with the Belgian armed forces led Fairey to develop the Fairey Fantôme as a successor to the Firefly. Of three prototypes built, two were transferred to Spain via the USSR, and one served as a test platform for the RAF.
Although an order for 12 Fairey Battle aircraft was placed in 1936 to succeed the Fox, no further procurement occurred until Belgium commissioned locally built Hawker Hurricane fighters. However, on 10 May 1940, German bombing raids severely damaged the factory.
Following this attack, company personnel evacuated first to France and subsequently to England. During their sea voyage near St Nazaire, their vessel was bombed by German aircraft resulting in eight fatalities among Fairey staff; survivors went on to contribute to the parent company’s efforts throughout the Second World War.
Post-war Developments
Following the conclusion of the war, Avions Fairey resumed operations at the Gosselies airfield near Charleroi, initially focusing on maintenance for Air Force C-47 Skytrain aircraft; this service was later expanded to include additional types of planes.
The company re-entered manufacturing through a collaboration with Fokker to produce Gloster Meteor jet fighters. Together, the two firms delivered a total of 240 units to the Dutch and Belgian air forces.
Development of the Tipsy series persisted, starting with the single-seat Tipsy Junior and subsequently the Tipsy Belfair. However, sales were limited due to an oversupply of surplus military aircraft. In 1957, the affordable Tipsy Nipper was introduced, available either fully assembled or as a kit.
In 1953, Avions Fairey secured a contract to manufacture 256 Hawker Hunter fuselages for both the Dutch and Belgian air forces, a project that continued until 1958. The company also maintained service agreements and, in partnership with SABCA, produced Lockheed F-104 Starfighters under license beginning in 1962.
Following Fairey UK's acquisition of Britten-Norman, production of Britten-Norman Islanders took place in Belgium and Romania, while a production line for the Britten-Norman Trislander was established in Belgium. Romanian-built Islanders were flown to Britten-Norman for final flight certification, as were all aircraft assembled in Belgium. Due to financial challenges faced by Fairey UK, the Belgian government assumed control of Avions Fairey to safeguard the Belgian F-16 program.
On 1 June 1976, Avions Fairey was restructured into the company now known as SONACA.