24. The treaty between the UK and France to develop a Supersonic Transport saw two companies initially named as prime contractors. The British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) was one, but which French firm was the other?
From Quiz Concorde and Concordski
Answer:
Sud Aviation
In the late 1950s, the French government began investigating the concept of a supersonic passenger aircraft, requesting potential designs from three major French aircraft manufacturers - Dassault, Nord Aviation and Sud Aviation. Sud Aviation's design, which came to be called the "Super-Caravelle", and was intended as a successor to the company's earlier Caravelle, was chosen as the winning design, with work to develop it beginning in 1960. Almost immediately, Sud Aviation began conversations with the UK aerospace industry, specifically in relation to obtaining suitable engines, as France did not have a major engine manufacturer of its own. The company planned to enter into a partnership with the Bristol Aeroplane Company, which was part of the British Aircraft Corporation, as part of this.
At the same time, Bristol had been developing its own SST proposals, and so the two companies were able to found themselves in agreement over much of the process. The idea of a formal partnership to develop an aircraft was put to the British government, which, despite reservations, saw it as a way of gaining French support for the UK's proposed entry into the European Economic Community. As a result, a treaty to develop the Anglo-French SST was signed in November 1962, with BAC (through Bristol) and Sud Aviation as the main industrial partners. Sud Aviation continued in this until 1970, when it was merged with Nord Aviation and SEREB to form Aerospatiale.