Sign in

Private company

Arsenal de l'Aéronautique

National military aircraft manufacturer

Arsenal de l'Aéronautique (commonly named Arsenal) was a national military aircraft manufacturer established by the French Government in 1936 at Villacoublay. In the years before World War II, it developed a range of technically advanced fighter aircraft, but none of these were manufactured in sufficient quantities to be of any use against the German invasion. Following the war, Arsenal was relocated to Châtillon-sous-Bagneux, where it was privatised as SFECMAS (la Société Française d’Etude et de Constructions de Matériel Aéronautiques Spéciaux) in 1952.2 It ceased to exist in 1955.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1934Founded1
  • Industryaerospace industry1
  • HeadquartersVélizy-Villacoublay1
  • Founded inVélizy-Villacoublay1

See how the biggest companies compare on our leaderboards

Arsenal de l'Aéronautique (commonly named Arsenal) was a national military aircraft manufacturer established by the French Government in 1936 at Villacoublay. In the years before World War II, it developed a range of technically advanced fighter aircraft, but none of these were manufactured in sufficient quantities to be of any use against the German invasion. Following the war, Arsenal was relocated to Châtillon-sous-Bagneux, where it was privatised as SFECMAS (la Société Française d’Etude et de Constructions de Matériel Aéronautiques Spéciaux) in 1952. In 1955 SFECMAS joined SNCAN to create Nord Aviation.2

Products and brands

  • aircraft

Listed on Wikidata.1

Arsenal VG 30

(1938) Single-engine one-seat low-wing monoplane propeller-engine fighter aircraft. One prototype built

Arsenal VG 31

VG-30 variant powered by Hispano-Suiza engine. One built

Read the full text

Arsenal VG 32

VG-30 variant powered by Allison engine. One built

Arsenal VG-33

Production version of VG-32

Arsenal VG-34

VG-33 variant with newer engine. One built

Arsenal VG-35

VG-33 variant with newer engine. One built

Arsenal VG-36

VG-33 variant with newer engine and modified radiator housing. One built

Arsenal VG-37

Proposed VG-33 variant with longer range. Not built

Arsenal VG-38

Proposed VG-33 variant with newer engine. Not built

Arsenal VG-39

VG-36 variant with more streamlined nose and larger engine. One built

Arsenal VG-40

VG-39 variant with Rolls-Royce engine. Not built

Arsenal VG-50

VG-39 variant with Allison engine. Not built

Arsenal VB 10

(1945) Two-engine single-seat propeller fighter aircraft with fore-and-aft engines. Six built

Arsenal O.101

(1947) Single-engine two-seat low-wing aerodynamic research aircraft. One built

Arsenal VG 70

(1948) Single-engine one-seat high-wing swept-wing jet experimental aircraft. One built

Arsenal VG 80

Arsenal VG 90

(1949) Single-engine one-seat high-wing swept-wing carrier-based jet fighter. Three built; two completed

Arsenal-Delanne 10

From Wikipedia’s article on Arsenal de l'Aéronautique, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Acquisitions

  1. Succeeded by SNCAN1

Timeline

  1. 1955Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. Jan 1, 1953Renamed Name changed to Société française d’étude et de construction de matériels aéronautiques spéciaux1
  3. 1934Founded Founded in Vélizy-Villacoublay1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3