Société des Avions Marcel Bloch
| Company type | Company (later nationalized) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation, Aircraft manufacturing |
| Predecessor | Société d'Études Aéronautiques |
| Founded | 1928 |
| Founder | Marcel Bloch |
| Defunct | 16 January 1937 (nationalized) |
| Fate | Nationalized into SNCASO; later renamed Dassault Aviation |
| Successor | SNCASO, later Dassault Aviation |
| Headquarters | Boulogne, later Courbevoie, France , France |
Area served | France |
Key people | Marcel Bloch (founder and delegated administrator) |
| Products | Military and civilian aircraft, propellers |
The Société des Avions Marcel Bloch was a French aircraft manufacturing company that specialized in both military and civilian aviation. It was established by aeronautical engineer Marcel Bloch, whose initials "MB" became the basis for the company’s aircraft designations. Prior to founding this firm, Bloch had played a crucial role at the Société d'Études Aéronautiques, one of France’s early aircraft producers during the First World War.
Following the conclusion of Second World War combat, Marcel Bloch adopted the surname Marcel Dassault as a tribute to his brother’s wartime nickname, char d'assault ("assault tank"). Subsequently, the company was renamed Dassault Aviation, gaining prominence for its jet-powered aircraft such as the Dassault Mirage series of fighters and the Dassault Falcon line of business jets.
History
The origins of the company are closely tied to Marcel Bloch's extensive background in aviation, including his leadership at Société d'Études Aéronautiques during the First World War. After the war, facing limited governmental backing and economic difficulties, Bloch temporarily left the aerospace sector to pursue real estate ventures.
In 1928, with renewed governmental focus on aviation marked by the establishment of a dedicated Air Ministry, Bloch founded Société des Avions Marcel Bloch to recommence aircraft manufacturing. Early projects included a tri-motor mail plane commissioned by engineer Albert Caquot. By late 1931, the company secured its initial government contract, producing the single-engine MB.80 medical evacuation aircraft and the three-engine colonial transport MB.120 for the French Air Force.
To accommodate increasing production demands, Bloch reorganized his operations by creating distinct design and manufacturing units and expanded facilities first in Boulogne and later in Courbevoie by 1932.
By 1934, anticipating limitations in production capacity across the industry, Bloch formed an alliance with aviation entrepreneur Henry Potez. In January 1935, they jointly acquired Société Aérienne Bordelaise (which would later be integrated into SNCASO), a manufacturer known for bombers like the MB.200 and MB.210. Their acquisition also included control over SMAL, an engine producer.
During the social transformations of 1930s France, Bloch maintained constructive relationships with labor unions, offering employee benefits that surpassed government requirements, including three weeks of paid vacation by 1936. However, that same year witnessed the nationalization of armament industries, resulting in seven state-owned aeronautical companies being established, among them SNCASO.
On 16 January 1937, Société des Avions Marcel Bloch was nationalized; its assets—including factories located at Courbevoie, Châteauroux-Déols, Villacoublay, and Bordeaux—became integral components of SNCASO. Marcel Bloch was appointed as delegated administrator but gradually saw his operational authority diminish due to regulatory changes restricting autonomy.
As geopolitical tensions escalated prior to WWII, the French government initiated a rearmament campaign focused on producing advanced combat aircraft. Designs from Bloch such as the single-engine fighter MB.150 and twin-engine bomber MB.170 played key roles in this initiative. The company also manufactured propellers supplied to various other producers. In 1938, Bloch and Potez expanded their production capabilities by purchasing land in Saint-Cloud for a new manufacturing facility.
With the onset of WWII in September 1939, French aircraft production intensified despite delays in contracts. During the early phase known as the "Phoney War," Bloch accelerated both output and prototype development but withdrew from SNCASO in February 1940 following disagreements with the Air Ministry.
After France’s defeat in June 1940, German forces assumed control over French aeronautical assets; production largely halted or was redirected under German supervision. Marcel Bloch was detained by Vichy authorities but resisted collaboration despite pressure. The Saint-Cloud plant was requisitioned by Junkers for their purposes.
Released from captivity in April 1945, Marcel Bloch returned to find France’s aerospace industry severely damaged but remained hopeful about future demand for commercial aviation. He relaunched his company under the new name Dassault Aviation.
Military
- MB.80 & MB.81, air ambulance, first flown in 1932
- MB.200, bomber introduced in 1933
- MB.210, bomber developed as a successor to the MB.200, 1934
- MB.130, reconnaissance bomber prototype introduced in 1934
- MB.150, fighter prototype leading to the MB.151, 1937
- MB.151, initial production model powered by Gnome-Rhône 14N-35 engine
- MB.152, version equipped with Gnome-Rhône 14N-25 engine
- MB.153, prototype utilizing Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engine
- MB.154, planned but unbuilt Wright R-1820 Cyclone engine version
- MB.155, variant fitted with Gnome-Rhône 14N-49 engine
- MB.156, proposed but not constructed model with Gnome-Rhône 14R engine
- MB.157, advanced prototype converted from the MB.152, powered by Gnome-Rhône 14R-4 engine
- MB.170 reconnaissance/bomber introduced in 1938
- MB.462, circa 1938
- MB.500, monoplane trainer introduced in 1938
- MB.690, circa 1938
- MB.730, circa 1938
- MB.480, torpedo bomber and reconnaissance floatplane from 1939
- MB.162, four-engine long-range bomber derived from the MB.160, launched in 1940
- MB.800, three-seat trainer and mailplane from 1940; one unit completed as Sud-Ouest SO.80 during World War II
- MB.700, monoplane interceptor developed in 1941
Civilian
- MB.60, trimotor mailplane first flown in 1930; originally designated as MB.VI
- MB.61, variant powered by Lorraine 5Pc engines
- MB.90, light aircraft from 1932; noted as the first all-metal French airplane
- MB.91, modified version of the MB.90 with rounded tailfin, altered wing struts, and faired landing gear; never flew
- MB.92 Grande Tourisme, featuring tandem seating, introduced in 1932
- MB.93, variant of the MB.90 combining de Havilland Gipsy Major I engine and elements from the MB.91
- MB.100, four-seat model driven by Hispano-Suiza 5Q engine
- MB.110, mailplane built in 1933
- MB.120, three-engine transport and airliner derived from the MB.71, dating to 1932
- MB.141, two-seat light aircraft evolved from the MB.81, introduced in 1934
- MB.160, high-speed four-engine airliner launched in 1937
- MB220, twin-engine airliner produced in 1935
- MB221, six units of the MB220 re-engined with Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone motors
- MB300 Pacifique, a three-engine airliner introduced in 1935
- MB161, four-engine airliner based on the MB160, first flown in 1939; manufactured postwar as SNCASE SE161 Languedoc