Jodel
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1946 |
| Founder | Édouard Joly, Jean Délémontez |
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Light aircraft |
Société Avions Jodel is a French aircraft manufacturer established in 1946 by Édouard Joly and his son-in-law Jean Délémontez.
History
Following the conclusion of World War II, Jodel introduced a series of light airplanes. Contrary to common misconception, both founders brought considerable aviation expertise—Délémontez was an aeronautical engineer by training, while Joly had prior experience constructing aircraft before the war. Their inaugural design, the 1948 D9 Bébé, was characterized by a compact engine and a lightweight plywood framework.
Over the next twenty years, the French government acquired more than 500 units of the D9 and subsequently commissioned a larger, two-seat trainer known as the D11, which debuted in 1950.
Jodel aircraft are crafted entirely from wood, mainly utilizing Sitka spruce and okoume plywood—a hardwood sourced from West Africa. A distinctive feature of their designs is the ‘cranked’ dihedral on the outer third of the wing, which includes washout to preserve aileron control near stall conditions. This wing profile tapers markedly toward the tips, creating a unique aerodynamic shape.
Jodel airplanes continue to enjoy popularity in France, Southern Europe, and the United Kingdom but have limited market penetration in the United States. In Australia, Frank Rogers modernized the original designs with updated plans aimed at amateur constructors.
Later on, Jean Délémontez collaborated with Pierre Robin to form Centre-Est Aéronautique—later known as Robin Aircraft—in 1957.
Production under licence
Apart from prototype development, several French manufacturers produced Jodel aircraft until the 1960s. Since that time, Jodel has primarily concentrated on marketing licences and comprehensive blueprints to homebuilders.
The Jodel design was licensed internationally to various companies that manufactured derivative models featuring the signature Jodel wing:
- Avions Robin, France
- Aero Difusión, Spain
- Falconar Avia, Canada
Aircraft
The initial model was introduced in 1948. All Jodel aircraft are low-wing monoplanes.
- Jodel D9 (1948)
- Jodel D91 (1948)
- Jodel D93 (1951)
- Jodel D11 (1950)
- Jodel D111 (1951)
- Jodel D112 (1952)
- Jodel D113 (1960)
- Jodel D114 (1952)
- SAN Jodel D.150 Mascaret (1962)
- Jodel D18 (1984)
- Jodel D19 (1986)
- Jodel D-20 (1990)
- Jodel DR1050 Excellence