View source for SABCA

{{Short description|Belgian aerospace manufacturer}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Société Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aéronautiques
| native_name = 
| native_name_lang = 
| logo = File:Sabca logo.png
| logo_size = 250px
| type = 
| traded_as = SABCA
| founded = {{start date and age|1920}}
| hq_location = [[Brussels]]
| hq_location_country = [[Belgium]]
| industry = [[Aerospace manufacturer|Aerospace]]
| products = [[Aircraft]]
| key_people = 
| revenue = 
| revenue_year = 
| operating_income = 
| net_income = 
| num_employees = 993 (2020)<ref name = "official history">{{cite web |url = https://www.sabca.be/about |title = About |publisher = SABCA |accessdate = 5 April 2020}}</ref>
| subsid = 
| homepage = [https://www.sabca.be sabca.be]
| footnotes = 
| owners = Orizio
}}

'''SABCA''' ({{Langx|fr|Sociétés Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aéronautiques|4=Belgian Public Limited Company of Aeronautical Construction}}) is a [[Belgium|Belgian]] [[aerospace]] company. Its main sectors of activity are [[civil aviation]], [[outer space|space]] and [[Fighter aircraft|defence]].

SABCA was established during 1920. Presently, it is owned by the Belgian group Orizio,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.orizio-group.com/ |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=Orizio |language=en-US}}</ref> itself owned by the Société Fédérale de Participations et d'Investissement (SFPIM) (a Belgian federal holding) and Sabena Aerospace.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-06-29 |title=Blueberry, nouveau groupe industriel belge dans l'industrie aéronautique et aérospatiale |url=https://www.agoria.be/fr/positionnement/flandres/blueberry-nouveau-groupe-industriel-belge-dans-lindustrie-aeronautique-et-aerospatiale |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=Agoria |language=fr}}</ref>

==History==
During 1920, SABCA was founded with the purpose of locally designing and building aircraft to satisfy [[Belgium]]'s emerging aviation requirements.<ref name = "official history"/> Its first manufacturing site was adjacent to [[Haren Airport]], in the suburbs of [[Brussels]]. During the [[Interwar period]], the company produced a number of in-house designs, as well as engaging in the manufacture of both civil and military aircraft.<ref name = "official history"/> Throughout its existence, SABCA has been a prolific user of [[licensed production|production licenses]], which have authorised the firm to build other manufacturers' aircraft. During 1926, the company constructed a total 15 [[Airco DH.4]] [[light bomber]]s.<ref name="Jackson p60">Jackson 1987, p. 60.</ref>

While its operations were disrupted by the [[German occupation of Belgium during World War II|German occupation of Belgium]] during the [[World War II|Second World War]], SABCA resumed operations shortly following the [[Victory in Europe Day|end of the conflict]].<ref name = "official history"/> In 1955, a new manufacturing plant was opened at [[Brussels South Charleroi Airport|Charleroi Airport]]. Around this same period, SABCA became involved in early [[European Space Research Organisation|European space programmes]]; the firm would be involved in the production of [[Spacelab]] as well as both the [[Ariane (rocket family)|Ariane]] and [[Vega (rocket)|Vega]] [[expendable launch system]]s.<ref name = "official history"/> SABCA also cooperated with the Dutch manufacturer [[Fokker]] in the manufacture of its [[Fokker F27 Friendship|F27 Friendship]] and [[Fokker 50|50]] short-haul [[airliner]]s. Other civil programmes the firm was involved with include producing elements of the [[Dassault Mercure]] and [[VFW-Fokker 614]] airliners.<ref name = "official history"/>

Throughout the [[postwar]] era, the company was involved in the manufacturing of large numbers of licensed aircraft as well as associated upgrade programmes; such aircraft included the [[Hawker Hunter]], the [[Republic F-84 Thunderjet]], the [[Lockheed F-104 Starfighter#Variants|Lockheed F-104G Starfighter]], the [[Dassault Mirage 5]], and the [[AgustaWestland AW109]] helicopter.<ref name = "official history"/> During the 1970s and 1980s, SABCA was responsible for operating one of the two European production lines for the [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon]]; a total of 164 aircraft would be manufactured at its [[Brussels South Charleroi Airport|Gosselies]] facility. The European co-production initiative was officially launched on 1 July 1977; under this arrangement, [[Fokker]]-produced components were delivered to [[General Dynamics]]' [[Fort Worth]] facility for fuselage assembly, which were then shipped back to Europe for final assembly of the aircraft at the SABCA's facility; deliveries to the [[Belgian Air Force]] started in January 1979. During the following year, SABCA commenced deliveries to the [[Royal Norwegian Air Force]].<ref>Peacock 1997, pp. 14–16, 21.</ref><ref>Richardson 1990, pp. 13–15.</ref>

During 1989, SABCA's involvement in the civil aviation sector received a significant boost via the first risk-sharing contract with the multinational aerospace conglomerate [[Airbus]].<ref name = "official history"/> It has since been a participant in all Airbus programmes, including the [[Airbus A380|A380]], the [[Airbus A400M Atlas|A400M Atlas]], and the [[Airbus A350 XWB|A350 XWB]]. SABCA also designs and manufactures subassemblies on behalf of other manufacturers, including [[Dassault Aviation]] and [[Gulfstream Aerospace]].<ref name = "official history"/> During 1992, demand for [[Composite material|composite]] components had grown to the point where a dedicated [[subsidiary]], ''SABCA Limburg'', was established to focus specifically on this activity.<ref name = "official history"/>

==Products==
* [[SABCA-Julien SJ 1]] - Monoplane
* [[Gambier-SABCA]]
* [[SABCA Castar]] - 1923 Monoplane, also known as the Poncelet Castar
* [[SABCA Camgul]] - 1925 single-engine biplane
* [[Airco DH.4]] - (15 built in 1926)
* [[Fokker F.VII|SABCA F.VII]] - license-built Fokker F.VII
* [[SABCA S.2]] - 1926 single-engine airliner
* [[SABCA S.3]] - projected monoplane trimotor transport
* [[SABCA S.4]] - projected single-engine sesquiplane fighter
* [[SABCA S.11]] - 1931 trimotor airliner
* [[SABCA S.XII]] - 1931 trimotor feederliner; also known as S.12
* [[SABCA S.13]] - projected army observation aircraft
* [[SABCA S.14]] - projected 1931 parasol-winged reconnaissance aircraft
* [[SABCA S.20]] - 1935 cabin tourer with elliptical wings
* [[SABCA S.30]] - 1936 parasol-winged light aircraft<ref name="JAWA 38">Grey John C.G. & Bridgman, Leonard. ''Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1938''. Sampson Low, Marston & company, Ltd. . London. 1938.</ref>
* [[SABCA S.40]] - 1939 two-seat trainer
* [[SABCA S.42]] - projected 1938 two-seat fighter-trainer, scaled up, higher power version of S.40
* [[Caproni Ca.135|SABCA S.45]] - projected license-built Caproni Ca.135
* [[Caproni Ca.310|SABCA S.46]] - projected license-built Caproni Ca.310
* [[Caproni Ca.335|SABCA S.47]] - license-built Caproni Ca.335
* [[Caproni Ca.313|SABCA S.48]] - projected license-built Caproni Ca.312; cancelled due to the [[German invasion of Belgium (1940)|Fall of Belgium]]
* [[SABCA S.60]] Planned jet trainer, not built.<ref>{{cite web | title=Sabca S.60 | date=10 April 2007 | url=https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/sabca-s-60.1767/ }}</ref>
* [[Savoia-Marchetti S.73|SABCA S.73]] - license-built Savoia-Marchetti S.73

==Locations==
SABCA has operations in two locations:
* [[Haren Airport|Brussels]] - company headquarters and the main centre of operations.<ref name = "official history"/>
* [[Limburg (Belgium)|Limburg]] - high-performance composite component [[manufacturing]] subsidiary opened in 1989.<ref name = "official history"/>

Before the merge with Sabena Engineering, SABCA also operated in [[Brussels South Charleroi Airport|Charleroi]]: [[military aircraft]] and [[helicopter]] maintenance, technical and logistic support to the customers, opened in 1955.<ref name = "official history"/>

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin}}
* Grey John C.G. & Bridgman, Leonard. ''Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1938''. Sampson Low, Marston & company, Ltd. London. 1938.
* Jackson, A.J. ''De Havilland Aircraft since 1909''. London: Putnam, Third edition, 1987. {{ISBN|0-85177-802-X}}.
* Peacock, Lindsay. ''On Falcon Wings: The F-16 Story''. [[RAF Fairford]], United Kingdom: The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund Enterprises, 1997. {{ISBN|1-899808-01-9}}.
* Richardson, Doug. ''General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon''. London: Salamander Books, 1990. {{ISBN|0-86101-534-7}}.
{{Refend}}

==External links==
* [http://www.sabca.com SABCA]
* {{PM20|FID=co/019416|TEXT=Documents and clippings about|NAME=}}

{{SABCA aircraft}}
{{Dassault Group}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Societe Anonyme Belge De Constructions Aeronautiques}}
[[Category:Aircraft manufacturers of Belgium]]
[[Category:Dassault Group]]
[[Category:Belgian companies established in 1920]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies based in Brussels]]
[[Category:SABCA aircraft| ]]