Maurice Mallet

Maurice Mallet (1861–1926) was a cofounder of the company later called Zodiac Aerospace.

In 1896 Mallet joined with Henry de La Vaulx and other associates to launch the company Mallet, Mélandri et de Pitray. The company made hot-air balloons for sport and tourism. In 1899, it was renamed "Ateliers de constructions aéronautiques Maurice Mallet" (Maurice Mallet aerospace construction workshops). "Renamed Ateliers de Constructions Aéronautiques Maurice Mallet in 1899, the Mallet workshops prospered thanks to regular orders from the Aéro-Club de France, the French flying club."

Mallet drew balloons for publications including L'Aerophile.

In 1902-3 Mallet collaborated with Victor Tatin to construct the dirigible La Ville de Paris for Henri Deutsch de la Meurthe. It was not successful and Deutsch de la Meurthe sponsored a later more successful one with the same name.

Mallet held patents for inventions related to dirigibles.

Around 1908 the company became "Société française des ballons dirigeables" ("French hot-air balloon company") then in 1911 the company changed its name to become "Zodiac". In 1909, the name Zodiac (with an English spelling) appeared in the name "Société française de ballons dirigeables et d'aviation Zodiac" ("Zodiac French hot-air balloon and aviation company"), followed in 1911 by "Société Zodiac, anciens Établissements aéronautiques Maurice Mallet" ("Zodiac Company, formerly Maurice Mallet aeronautical establishments").) It then experienced a boom in the construction of airplanes and airships, especially for the Aérostation Maritime (Naval Balloon Command) and through its participation in the first world war.