Dassault Aviation, the successful saga of French aeronautics

Bréguet Atlantic, Méditerrannée, Ouragan, Mystère, Alpha Jet, Mirage, Etendard, Rafale, Mercure, Hirondelle, Falcon, there have been a great number of models produced by the factory of Dassault Aviation in Saint-Cloud, since its opening, in 1928. This private entreprise, whose only client is the French State, has been a major player in the history of French aeronautics since more than a century.

French aeronautics, the private hunting grounds of Dassault Aviation

Pioneer in the conception of flying wings conveying admiration, the flagship of French aerospace owns many technological patents. With upscale Falcon corporate planes and the production of fighter-bombers such as the Rafale, this manufacturing empire, comprising 11,400 employees in 83 countries is the only major family group in this activity around the world.

Flagships of the aerospace industry, the Rafale and the Falcon 8X fly with the patrouille de France, rehearsing for Bastille Day commemorations. © DR

In the pilot's cockpit of the Falcon 8X, the digital panel enables totally secure flights. © DR

For the interior cabin, the most noble materials have been chosen in terms of passenger comfort. © Paper&Plane

A multi-faceted group, civil, military and spatial

After having delivered more than 10,000 planes, the group has acquired perfect mastering in the civil and military fields by training several generations of engineers and technicians in its special academy. Today, it is making an incursion in the spatial world with the combat drone nEUROn that is beginning fying in the European skies. For Dassault Aviation, there is still a big future ahead…

In the assembly plant, state-of-the-art technology is necessary to gain access to the heart of the plane. © A. Daste

In front of the tactile screens of the Dassault Aviation Training Academy, pilots have a rendezvous with the future. © E. Franceschi