Arsenal de l'Aéronautique

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.