mis à jour / updated :
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CONTACT INDEX Aéropostale |
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AIR
BLEU |
Les avions d'AIR BLEU, différentes sources; voir aussi les tableaux de Dominique Roosens |
Ci-dessus, la page principale
d'AIR BLEU avec les pilotes, articles de presse
d'époque, les Ailes,
l'Aéro...l'accident de Parçay-Meslay 1935
etc |
Pour
le transport du courrier, AIR BLEU est l'une des
compagnies aériennes les plus remarquables de
l'Europe d'avant-guerre. AIR BLEU a
démarré comme une entreprise
privée. Son histoire constitue une partie
importante de l'aviation civile française. Deux phases: Société Anonyme Air Bleu (1935-1937) Société Anonyme Air Bleu (1937-1940) |
source 1-Civil Aircraft Register - France & 2-Civil Aircraft Register - France (sous une autre forme)Les avions d'AIR BLEU
F-ANRI | Caudron C.630 Simoun | 7011.2 | F-ANRI | Beppo de Massimi /Paris >Soc.Air Bleu /Paris | 14.05.35 | 4133 | Destroyed 22.1.38 [c/n .9 per Docavia] |
F-ANRJ | Caudron C.630 Simoun > C.633 | 7012.3 | F-ANRJ | Beppo de Massimi /Paris >Soc.Air Bleu /Paris | 14.05.35 | 4134 | [c/n .10 per Docavia] |
F-ANRK | Caudron C.630 Simoun | 7013.9 | F-ANRK | Beppo de Massimi /Paris >Soc.Air Bleu /Paris | 28.05.35 | 4153 | Crashed 10.11.35 (or 4.12.35) [c/n .11 per Docavia] |
F-ANRL | Caudron C.630 Simoun > C.633 | 7014.4 | F-ANRL | Beppo de Massimi /Paris >Soc.Air Bleu /Paris | 14.05.35 | 4135 | [c/n .12 per Docavia] |
F-ANRM | Caudron C.630 Simoun > C.633 > C.635 | 7015.7 > 5 | F-ANRM | Beppo de Massimi /Paris >Soc.Air Bleu /Paris | 24.05.35 | 4148 | [c/n .13 >.5 >.? per Docavia] |
F-ANRN | Caudron C.630 Simoun > C.631 | 7016.12 | F-ANRN | Beppo de Massimi /Paris >Soc.Air Bleu /Paris | 17.06.35 | 4193 | [c/n .14 per Docavia] |
F-ANRO | Caudron C.630 Simoun > C.631 > C.635 | 7017.19 | F-ANRO | Air Bleu /Paris | 27.08.35 | 4340 | [c/n .15 per Docavia] |
F-ANRP | Caudron C.630 Simoun | 7018.14|15 | F-ANRP | Air Bleu /Paris | 22.08.35 | 4328 | [PB has .14] [c/n .16 per Docavia] |
F-ANRQ | Caudron C.630 Simoun > C.633 | 7019.18 >6 | F-ANRQ | Air Bleu /Paris | 22.08.35 | 4329 | [c/n .17 per Docavia] |
F-ANRR | Caudron C.630 Simoun | 7020.16 | F-ANRR | Air Bleu /Paris | 22.08.35 | 4330 | [c/n .18 per Docavia] |
F-ANRS | Caudron C.630 Simoun | 7021.17 | F-ANRS | Air Bleu /Paris | 22.08.35 | 4331 | [c/n .19 per Docavia] |
F-ANRT | Caudron C.630 Simoun | 7022.10 | F-ANRT | Air Bleu /Paris | 22.08.35 | 4332 | [c/n .20 per Docavia] |
F-AOMR | Caudron C.441 Goeland > C.444 | 7267.3 >.4 | F-AOMR | SA des Avions Caudron /Issy >Cie Air Bleu /Paris | 08.04.36 | 4651 | Sold abroad 11.36 Reregd 28.9.37 [CoR 5398] Destroyed Estalle 4.8.41 [c/n .3 per PB/.6 per Docavia also initially .5 |
F-AOYS | Caudron C.445 Goeland > C.444 | 7350.17 | F-AOYS | Cie Air Bleu /Paris > SCLAM | 11.03.38 | 5602 | Destroyed Vichy 15.9.41 |
F-ARIR | Potez 637 | 4330.1 | F-ARIR | Etat Francais >Air Bleu | 03.10.38 | 6114 | [Per PB c/n 21-in BV/ICAN872 as Potez 630 c/n 1 so poss conversion] |
F-AROV | Caudron C.445 Goeland | 8327.2 | F-AKID F-AROV | Etat Francais operated by Cie Air Bleu | 17.02.39 | 6282 |
F-ARQN | Caudron C.445M Goeland | 8363.45 | T909 F-ARQN | Cie Air Bleu /Paris | Destroyed Toulouse-Montaudran 31.12.42 [c/n .76 serial 45 per Docavia] |
F-ARTA | Caudron C.445M Goeland | 8405.87 | T951 F-ARTA | Cie Air Bleu /Paris (liaison Vichy-Turin) | Abandoned Turin 9.43 [c/n .118 serial 87 per Docavia] |
F-ARTH | Caudron C.445 Goeland | 8728.173 | P162 F-ARTH | Cie Air Bleu | Seized by Germans 12.43 [c/n .204 serial 173 per Docavia] |
Abréviations |
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AC | Aero Club | |
AF | Air Force | |
AL | Airlines | |
AS | Air Services | |
AT | Air Transport | |
AW | Airways | |
Canc | Cancelled | |
CoA | Certificate of Airworthiness | |
CoR | Certificate of Registration | |
Cv | Converted | |
Dbf | Destroyed by fire | |
Dbr | Damaged beyond repair | |
FC | Flying Club | |
f/n | Fleet number | |
FS | Flying School/Services | |
lsd | leased to | |
mod | Modified | |
ntu | Not taken up | |
op | Operated | |
SOC | Struck off charge | |
Wfu | Withdrawn from use | |
Dates are shown as dd.mm.yy | ||
Registrations in brackets are not taken up |
CoR Regn Type c/n First owner
4133 F-ANRI Caudron C.630 Simoun 7011.2 Beppo de Massimi /Paris
4134 F-ANRJ Caudron C.630 Simoun > C.633 7012.3 Beppo de Massimi /Paris
4135 F-ANRL Caudron C.630 Simoun > C.633 7014.4 Beppo de Massimi /Paris
4148 F-ANRM Caudron C.630 Simoun > C.633 > 7015.7 > 5 Beppo de Massimi /Paris
4153 F-ANRK Caudron C.630 Simoun 7013.9 Beppo de Massimi /Paris
4193 F-ANRN Caudron C.630 Simoun > C.631 7016.12 Beppo de Massimi /Paris
4328 F-ANRP Caudron C.630 Simoun 7018.14|15 Air Bleu /Paris
4329 F-ANRQ Caudron C.630 Simoun > C.633 7019.18 >6 Air Bleu /Paris
4330 F-ANRR Caudron C.630 Simoun 7020.16 Air Bleu /Paris
4331 F-ANRS Caudron C.630 Simoun 7021.17 Air Bleu /Paris
4332 F-ANRT Caudron C.630 Simoun 7022.10 Air Bleu /Paris
4340 F-ANRO Caudron C.630 Simoun > C.631 > C.635 7017.19 Air Bleu /Paris
5602 F-AOYS Caudron C.445 Goeland > C.444 7350.17 Cie Air Bleu /Paris
6282 F-AROV Caudron C.445 Goeland 8327.2 Etat Francais operated by Cie Air Bleu
F-ARQN Caudron C.445M Goeland 8363.45 Cie Air Bleu /Paris
F-ARTA Caudron C.445M Goeland 8405.87 Cie Air Bleu /Paris (liaison Vichy-Turin)
F-ARTH Caudron C.445 Goeland 8728.173 Cie Air Bleu
Fleet of day Société
Anonyme Air Bleu
(1935-1937)
By: Rob Mulder
For: www.europeanairlines.no
Under the leadership of Beppo de Massini the Société Anonyme Air Bleu was founded in Paris on May 23, 1935 with a stock capital of 5 million French Francs. He became the manager director of the company and found Didier Daurat prepared to accept the function of Director of Exploitation. The reason for use of the company name Société Air Bleu was that airmail letters were on blue paper, popularly called les petits bleus (the small blue ones). The company operated with success a number of airmail services operated with an extensive fleet of Caudron C.630 Simoun. After the reconstruction 1937 the company also operated some Caudron C.444 and C.445M. In September 1940 the fleet was transferred to Air France SA and the company dissolved.
Fleet list of Société Anonyme Air Bleu (1935-1937)
Type | Regn | c/n | In | Fate |
Caudron C.630 Simoun | F-ANRI | 9/7011 | .35 | 6.37 to Air Bleu as F-ANRI |
Caudron C.630 Simoun | F-ANRJ | 10/7012 | .35 | .35 to C.633, 6.37 to Air Bleu as F-ANRJ |
Caudron C.630 Simoun | F-ANRK | 11/7013 | .35 | 4.12.35 crashed |
Caudron C.630 Simoun | F-ANRL | 12/7014 | .35 | .35 to C.633, 6.37 to Air Bleu as F-ANRL |
Caudron C.630 Simoun | F-ANRM | 13/7015 | .35 | .35 to C.633, .36 to C.635, 6.37 to Air Bleu as F-ANRM |
Caudron C.630 Simoun | F-ANRN | 14/7016 | .35 | .35 to C.631, 6.37 to Air Bleu as F-ANRN |
Caudron C.630 Simoun | F-ANRO | 15/7017 | .35 | .35 to C.631, .36 to C.635, 6.37 to Air Bleu as F-ANRO |
Caudron C.630 Simoun | F-ANRP | 16/7018 | .35 | 6.37 to Air Bleu as F-ANRP |
Caudron C.630 Simoun | F-ANRQ | 17/7019 | .35 | .35 to C.633, 6.37 to Air Bleu as F-ANRQ |
Caudron C.630 Simoun | F-ANRR | 18/7020 | .35 | 6.37 to Air Bleu as F-ANRR |
Caudron C.630 Simoun | F-ANRS | 19/7021 | .35 | 6.37 to Air Bleu as F-ANRS |
Caudron C.630 Simoun | F-ANRT | 20/7022 | .35 | 6.37 to Air Bleu as F-ANRT |
Fleet list of Société Anonyme Air Bleu (1937-1940)
Type | Regn | c/n | In | Fate |
Caudron C.630 Simoun | F-ANRI | 9/7011 | .35 | 22.1.38 crashed |
Caudron C.633 Simoun | F-ANRJ | 10/7012 | 6.37 | 9.40 to Air France SA as F-ANRJ |
Caudron C.633 Simoun | F-ANRL | 12/7014 | 6.37 | 9.40 to Air France SA as F-ANRL |
Caudron C.635 Simoun | F-ANRM | 13/7015 | 6.37 | 9.40 to Air France SA as F-ANRM |
Caudron C.631 Simoun | F-ANRN | 14/7016 | 6.37 | 9.40 to Air France SA as F-ANRN |
Caudron C.635 Simoun | F-ANRO | 15/7017 | 6.37 | 9.40 to Air France SA as F-ANRO |
Caudron C.630 Simoun | F-ANRP | 16/7018 | 6.37 | 9.40 to Air France SA as F-ANRP |
Caudron C.633 Simoun | F-ANRQ | 17/7019 | 6.37 | 9.40 to Air France SA as F-ANRQ |
Caudron C.630 Simoun | F-ANRR | 18/7020 | 6.37 | 9.40 to Air France SA as F-ANRR |
Caudron C.630 Simoun | F-ANRS | 19/7021 | 6.37 | 9.40 to Air France SA as F-ANRS |
Caudron C.630 Simoun | F-ANRT | 20/7022 | 6.37 | 9.40 to Air France SA as F-ANRT |
Caudron C.444 Goéland | F-AOMR | 1960412 | 3.38 | 11.40 to L’Etat as F-AOMR (1) |
Caudron C.445 Goéland | F-AOYS | 7350 | 3.38 | 4.9.40 to Air France SA as F-AOYS |
Caudron C.445M Goéland | F-AROV | 9/40/8327 | 2.39 | 4.9.40 to Air France SA as F-AKID |
Caudron C.445M Goéland | F-ARQN | 45/76/8363 | 16.5.39 | 17.11.40 to SCLAM Vichy as F-ARQN |
Caudron C.445M Goéland | F-ARTA | 87/118/8405 | 11.39 | Owned by L’Etat (1), 7.40 to L’Etat as F-ARTA |
Société Anonyme Air Bleu (1935-1937)
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Société Anonyme Air Bleu (1937-1940)It was not until May 1937 that an agreement about the new Société Air Bleu could be reached. But on June 1, the French State, the Ministry of Finance, the Air Ministry and the Ministry of PTT could finally agree upon a convention with the Société Air Bleu. The stock capital was first to be reduced from 5 to 1 million French Francs, after which 4 million of fresh capital was put into the company. At the foundation of the new company on July 23, the shares were divided in accordance to this key:
(1) L’Etat = The French State. Mr Quenot (from the PTT) now headed the Board of Directors, but Paul Routy succeeded Beppo de Massimi as general manager. Also Didier Daurat was taken over as Chef d’Exploitation (Head of Exploitation). The new Société Air Bleu took over aircraft and personnel previously used by Air Bleu and on July 7 re-opened the network with the next airmail services:
As can be seen none of the previously operated airmail services were re-opened again. Only latter service had been operated before, but was now extended to Grenoble in the Alps. Also the airmail services to the western cities were not re-opened. They were regarded as too short. All aircraft departed daily between 8.15 and 8.20 am and returned to their nest at Le Bourget between 4.50 and 5 pm. On the first flight from Paris to Grenoble, the aircraft carried by exception two passengers: Mr Dugés from the PTT and Didier Daurat from Société Air Bleu. And the results for the same period compared with 1935 were amazing. The same number of aircraft and the same personnel was used, but the utilization was much better. The two Société Air Bleus nearly flew during the same period (July – December), but the new Société Air Bleu flew 604,159km and carried now 70,874kg of letters. The beginning of the year 1938 was marked by the loss of the Caudron C.630 Simoun F-ANRI at Paris/Le Bourget. It crashed on January 22. Michel Vanier and Henri Darqué were the pilots on this flight. The aircraft was destroyed beyond repair, but pilot and two passengers miraculously walked only with slight injuries away from the crash. A new and more suitable type of aircraft was introduced as well. The Société Air Bleu purchased two Caudron Goéland aircraft. The first Caudron C.444 was owned by Société Caudron owned the first delivered Caudron C.444 Goéland and transferred it in March 1938 to Société Air Bleu as F-AOMR. The second aircraft was delivered directly to the Société Air Bleu and registered as F-AOYS. Both aircraft had two 220 hp Renault 6 Q-engines. They were soon used on the network of Société Air Bleu. The only change in the network in 1938 was the opening of the airmail service Marseille – Nice in connection with the new airmail service of Air France: Paris – Lyon – Marseille that was operated with the beautiful lined Bloch 220. The first flight between Marseille and Nice was made on February 16. Until 1939 this network was operated by Air Bleu and without any major problems. In 1939 a third Caudron Goéland was purchased: The Caudron C.445M Goéland, F-AKID that was purchased via L’Etat (the French State), who passed the aircraft on to Société Air Bleu in February 1939. It was the third aircraft of that type obtained by the company. A new aircraft type Caudron C.445M Goéland was delivered on May 16, 1939. By November a fifth aircraft was delivered, the C.445M, F-ARTA that in July 1940 transported Maréchal Pétain to several locations. It later went to SCLAM Marignane and was seized by the Italians in 1943, which handed it over to the Germans. With the aircraft on place, the Société Air Bleu was now able to open the first airmail night service, running from Paris to Bordeaux and Pau. The Caudron C.633 Simoun was regarded as not suited for the night service as it was a single-engine aircraft. The Caudron Goéland had proven itself as a reliable aircraft and was liked by its pilots. On May 10 the Société Air Bleu inaugurated the first airmail night service when the Caudron C.445M F-AROV departed for Bordeaux and Pau. The Chief Pilot Michel Vanier was the first pilot on this flight and Lucien Pauzié as radio operator joined him. They left Paris/Le Bourget at 10.45 pm after a speech by Jules Julien, who was the director of the PTT. A number of other celebrities had come to Le Bourget to wish the crew all the best for its first night flight. In Pau the return aircraft started just one hour and thirteen minutes later. On board of the Caudron C.445, F-AOYS was the pilot Georges Libert and radio operator Victor Beaufol. The landed at 00.33 am at Bordeaux, where Vanier arrived just fifteen minutes later. Didier Daurat had flown with the F-AROV to Bordeaux and now changed aircraft and returned with F-AOYS to Paris. The airmail night service was the first airmail night service ever operated in France. The route was illuminated all the way from Paris to Bordeaux and Pau in order to lead the aircraft safely along the route. Late 1938 or early 1939 the company received two Potez 630 aircraft. These were strictly modified military aircraft. They were powered by two 640hp Hispano Suiza 14 AB02/03 and was originally built as a fighter-bomber. A special mail carrier was constructed and delivered for trials to the Société Air Bleu. The prototype (F-ARIR) had made its first flight on October 4, 1938 and was shortly afterwards delivered. The second aircraft (F-AREY) entered service a little bit later. But on September 2, the start of the Second World War interrupted the development of any new airmail services and the Société Air Bleu had to discontinue its airmail network. The general mobilisation also led to a restructure of civil aviation in France and the Société Air Bleu now became part of the Section Long Courier Escadrille 1/110. It operated the airmail service from Paris to London. After the Armistice (June 1940) it was decided to keep life in the Société Air Bleu but only aircraft of the type Caudron Goéland were used. In September 1940 the remainder of the fleet was transferred to Air France SA and the company dissolved. Paul Routy led the liquidation of the Société Air Bleu, while Didier Daurat started to work for Air France SA in charge of the airmail services. For details about the fleet please go to above Another interesting website about Air Bleu: http://eisenbei.club.fr/airbleu.htm |
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The picture of the Caudron Simoun, F-ANRO comes from the website of the Museé d’Air in Paris. A picture of the aircraft in service can also be found on the website: http://henri.eisenbeis.free.fr/FANRO.jpg
Technical information of the aircraft used can be found here: Caudron C.444 Goéland Simoun
AIR BLEU Aérogare Bourges
Potez 630 |