Website www.reims-aviation.eu Founded 1962 | Defunct 17 April 2014 | |
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Fate liquidated, Sold to Continental Motors, Inc. Parent organizations Continental Motors, Inc., ASI Innovation SAS | ||
Reims Aviation Industries was a French aircraft manufacturer located in the city of Reims, most recently producing the F406 Caravan II. Reims Aviation was a wholly owned subsidiary of GECI Aviation.
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History
Max Holste, the company founder, built his first aircraft in 1931, a light two-seater aircraft called the SHB1. In 1946 he started his own aircraft company in downtown Reims. In the 1950s two new models were designed, in 1950 the Broussard MH.1521 and in 1959 the Super Broussard MH.260. In 1960 a cooperative agreement was signed with Cessna to produce light aircraft for the European market. The company was officially born as Reims Aviation in 1962, mainly producing the FR172 Reims Rocket, a more powerful version of the Cessna 172. In 1989 Reims Aviation bought back all the shares held by Cessna and became a private French aircraft manufacturer. Production of the single engined airplanes was halted, and only the F406 remained in production.
The company entered receivership on 10 September 2013. On 25 March 2014, the Commercial Court of Reims approved the transfer of the Company's aircraft maintenance, cabin management, integration and installation systems assets to ASI Innovation, and the transfer of its F406 assets to Continental Motors, Inc. With the disposition of the company's assets, its parent company, GECI Aviation, was also liquidated on 17 April 2014. Continental has indicated that it plans to continue the production of the F406 in Mobile, Alabama.
Products
Note that the F406 was the last model still in production at the time of bankruptcy. All aircraft were made in cooperation with Cessna.