Ratier
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace manufacturing |
| Founded | 1904 |
| Founder | Paulin Ratier |
| Headquarters | Figeac , France |
| Products | Aircraft components, propellers |
Number of employees | 500 (1939) |
Ratier-Figeac is a manufacturer of aircraft components headquartered in Figeac, France.
From 1926 to 1930, the company produced a vehicle powered by a 746 cc overhead camshaft engine. Between 1959 and 1962, Ratier ventured into motorcycle production following the acquisition of the motorcycle division from the Centre d'Études de Moteurs à Explosion et à Combustion (CEMEC), utilizing flat-twin engines inspired by WWII-era BMW designs.
History
Initially established as a joinery business, Ratier shifted its focus to manufacturing aircraft propeller blades for the French Air Force during the First World War. Throughout the 1930s, it supplied propellers to the French postal aviation company Aéropostale. The factory relocated from Malakoff to Montrouge. Under contract for Citroën, Ratier also produced the Citroënette pedal car. Although a prototype vehicle powered by a propeller was developed, it never reached production.
Ratier built rally cars that achieved victories in competitions such as the Bol d'or race. During the Second World War, its Figeac facility manufactured bicycles and aircraft components for German forces until it suffered damage in a 1944 raid conducted by French resistance fighters.
Following the war, there was a demand in France for motorcycles suited to military and police applications. Leveraging confiscated BMW patents and motorcycles, the French army established CMR (Centre de Montage et de Réparation) to refurbish and produce parts. Jacques Dormoy, chief engineer, enhanced these designs, resulting in models such as the 750cc L7 with side valves and later the 600cc C6S featuring overhead valves. After encountering financial troubles, CMR was reorganized as CEMEC, with its operations transferred to Ratier’s non-propeller division RAM (Ratier Aviation et Marine) in Montrouge, resuming production under the Ratier name.
General Charles de Gaulle outfitted his presidential escort with Ratier motorcycles. Although the L7 model became obsolete—leading some police units to prefer German BMW motorcycles—the C6S matched the performance of the BMW R60 but incorporated a rubber coupling instead of a universal joint. The majority of these motorcycles were supplied to police and military agencies, with approximately 1,200 units produced before government contracts ceased.
Today, Ratier-Figeac specializes in manufacturing aircraft components and is a significant supplier for Airbus.
Timeline
1904 : Founded by joiner Paulin Ratier to produce wooden aircraft propellers.
1914-1918 : Wartime needs accelerate manufacturing. 1917 : Opened factory in Figeac due to its plentiful wood resources critical for propeller production.
1919-1929 : Post-war demand decline leads to diversification into toys, electrical devices, and telephones. Patented variable pitch metal propellers, securing a position among leading global manufacturers.
1939 : Supplied 90% of French Air Force propellers; held 63 world records; owned 32 foreign licenses; operated branches in Algeria, Switzerland, and Morocco with a workforce of 500.
1941 : Collapse in aircraft orders prompts shift to bicycle production.
1949-1950 : Workforce shrinks below 100 amid demand crisis.
1951-1961 : Recovery period with tenfold workforce increase. G. Forest acquires company; establishes tool-die factory at Capdenac (now Forest-Line).
1961 : Propeller output grows significantly with Transall and l’Atlantic projects; becomes flight equipment supplier for Caravelle aircraft.
1968 : Expands into propellers and fan-lift engine manufacturing.
1970 : Begins collaboration with Airbus to fulfill orders.
1980 : Introduces composite propellers alongside Hamilton Sundstrand; expands projects with Airbus, Eurocopter, Bombardier, ATR.
1990 : Hamilton Sundstrand acquires 20.5% stake in Ratier-Figeac.
1998 : Hamilton Sundstrand attains full ownership.
2001 : Awarded contract for Airbus A380 elevator production.
2003 : Secures contract for propeller manufacture on Airbus A400M.
2007 : Becomes exclusive propeller manufacturer within Hamilton Sundstrand group; fully integrated by 2008.