Voisin (aircraft)
| Company type | Société Anonyme |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aircraft manufacturing |
| Founded | 1905 |
| Founder | Gabriel Voisin, Charles Voisin |
| Fate | Gabriel Voisin left aviation after World War I to found Avions Voisin (automobiles) |
| Successor | Avions Voisin (automobiles) |
| Headquarters | Billancourt, Paris , France |
Area served | France, Russia, Italy, United Kingdom, Belgium, Romania, Ukraine |
Key people | Gabriel Voisin, Charles Voisin |
| Products | Military and civil aircraft including Voisin-Farman I, Voisin III, Voisin VIII, Voisin X, and others |
Aéroplanes Voisin was a pioneering French aircraft manufacturer established in 1905 by Gabriel Voisin alongside his brother Charles. Following Charles's death in 1912, Gabriel carried on the enterprise under the title Société Anonyme des Aéroplanes G. Voisin. During World War I, the firm became a prominent military aircraft producer, especially known for crafting the Voisin III. After the war, Gabriel Voisin left the aviation sector to found Avions Voisin, a company dedicated to luxury car manufacturing.
Early history
Gabriel Voisin began his career collaborating with Ernest Archdeacon on glider projects and briefly joined forces with Louis Blériot in 1905 to create Ateliers d'Aviation Edouard Surcouf, Blériot et Voisin. Following a disagreement, Gabriel acquired Blériot's share and, together with Charles, launched Appareils d'Aviation Les Frères Voisin on 5 November 1906 in Billancourt, Paris—recognized as the first commercial aircraft factory worldwide.
The firm produced the Voisin-Farman I, which was Europe's inaugural manned powered airplane capable of sustaining a one-kilometer circular flight. A notable milestone occurred on 8 March 1910 when Raymonde de Laroche became the first woman to obtain a pilot’s license while flying a Voisin aircraft. Additionally, in South Africa during December 1909, French aviator Albert Kimmerling achieved the continent’s first powered flight using a Voisin biplane.
Initially constructing aircraft based on clients' specifications while developing its own designs, Voisin’s early customers included M. Florencie, who ordered an ornithopter, and Henri Kapferer, for whom they built a pusher biplane that ultimately failed due to an underpowered Buchet engine. Kapferer introduced them to Leon Delagrange, leading to a successful Antoinette-powered model piloted by Charles Voisin in March 1907. This connection resulted in orders from Henri Farman, whose identical aircraft—the Voisin-Farman No.1—became foundational for the company’s growth.
On 13 January 1908, Farman secured victory in the "Grand Prix de l'aviation" by completing the first closed-circuit flight exceeding one kilometer. This achievement triggered substantial orders for Voisin. Approximately sixty similar planes were manufactured, cementing Voisin’s early leadership within the aviation industry.
Major Designs of 1907-1914
- 1907 Voisin 1907 biplane
- 1909 Voisin Tractor
- Only one unit constructed.
- 1910 Voisin Type de Course
- 1910 Type Bordeaux
- 1910 Voisin Type Militaire
- 1911 Type de Tourism
- 1911 Voisin Canard
- A tail-first pusher configuration initially designed as a landplane and later adapted with floats; sold to both French and Russian naval forces.
- 1912 Type Monaco
- A smaller Canard floatplane variant; two units built for the 1912 Monaco Aero Meeting.
- A flying boat featuring a six-wheeled hull commissioned by Henry Deutsch de la Meurthe.
- Pod-and-boom pusher biplane developed for French Army trials in 1912; roughly 70 produced in France and around 400 manufactured within the Russian Empire.
- 1913 Voisin Canon
- Six-wheeled triple-tail pusher armed with a 37mm Hotchkiss cannon.
- 1914 Type LA or Voisin III
- An evolution of the L model incorporating detailed enhancements while retaining its core configuration.
Voisin designs during World War I
The production of the Voisin III Type LA and LAS models rapidly increased throughout World War I, with more than 1,350 airframes manufactured under license across Italy (S.I.T.), Russia (Anatra, Breshnev-Moller, Dux Lebedev, Schetinin), and the United Kingdom (Savages of King's Lynn). These aircraft were deployed by French, Belgian, Romanian, Ukrainian, and Russian military forces. By 1918, Voisin's operations were divided between Voisin-Lafresnaye for airframe manufacturing and Voisin-Lefebvre for engine production, both playing significant roles in wartime output.
Following this, the Voisin IV Type LB and LBS, equipped with a 37mm cannon, were produced in more limited quantities. The designation 'B' signified cannon-armed aircraft, while 'S' indicated raised engine placement to enhance performance.
Around 300 units of the upgraded Voisin V Type LAS were built. The Voisin VI Type LAS, featuring a 155 hp Salmson radial engine, saw restricted production—approximately 50 units—due to concerns over its obsolescence.
Introduced in 1916, the larger Voisin VII Type LC, which included nose-mounted radiators, was hampered by underpowered engines; only about 100 examples were produced.
In 1915, Voisin designed a four-engine triplane powered by Salmson engines with twin fuselage booms; however, it failed to attract orders. Its wings were later repurposed for the four-engine E.28 bomber fitted with Hispano-Suiza engines, which also did not proceed to production.
Additional experimental projects such as the Type M and the twin-fuselage Type O did not achieve success.
The more powerful Voisin VIII models Type LAP and LBP became France's primary night bombers during 1916-17, with over 1,000 units constructed.
The Voisin IX Type LC, designed as a lightweight reconnaissance aircraft, was ultimately outperformed by competitors including the Salmson 2 and Breguet 14.
Equipped with a dependable 280 hp Renault engine replacing the earlier Peugeot unit, the Voisin X Type LAR and LBR experienced delays in delivery but reached approximately 900 produced by the end of the war. Notably, one Voisin X was converted into the 'Aerochir', an airborne surgical unit capable of transporting medical personnel and equipment directly to combat zones. Another was adapted as an early unmanned drone flown in 1918 and again in 1923.
Powered by a 350 hp Panhard engine with only minor modifications from previous versions, the Voisin XI had limited production of around ten units and saw no operational deployment.
The final model in this series, the Voisin XII, was a four-engine night bomber that performed successfully in 1918 BN2 competition trials but received no production orders due to the war’s conclusion. Subsequent heavy bomber developments based on this design were never realized.
During the 1930s, an unrelated Louis Voisin created a glider bearing the family name; however, this had no connection to Gabriel Voisin.
Post World War I
Following 1918, Gabriel Voisin withdrew from aviation to concentrate on automobile manufacturing under the brand name Avions Voisin.