Safran Group: The Integral Component of the Aerospace Industry
Every time that you fly by plane your experience is supported, enhanced, and made possible by at least some of the products and services provided by Safran. From power generation and electrical distribution to electrical interconnecting systems and wiring, Safran Electrical & Power services present the world-leading standard of aerospace electronics.
Safran, and its subsidiaries support aerospace manufacturers all across the globe. In Canada, France, Mexico, Tunisia, the United Kingdom, and of course in the United States of America, Safran is the key supplier of electrical components and custom services for both aerospace and defense markets.
Every day, hundreds and thousands of flights are made possible by the technology and solutions provided by this company. Safran also supports military operations on land, air and sea with its robust and reliable systems and durable electric parts.
With nearly 50 years of operations in the US, and more than 8000 employees across 24 states, Safran has been and continues to be the industry leader and an integral part of the aerospace industry.
The history of Safran is rooted all across the world through the innovative minds of engineering geniuses and daring companies.
The History of Safran
It’s somewhat difficult to talk about the history of the aerospace industry without mentioning the name Safran (or at least one of the member companies of the Safran Group).
The foundations of Safran can be traced back to 1896 to a company called Mallet, Melandri et de Pitray. Founded by Maurice Mallet, Antonio Melandri, and Paul Simard, the company produced the very first airship for sports and tourism activities. At the beginning of the 20th century, the name was changed to Zodiac Company. Zodiac is actually the first company that produced inflatable boats.
Almost simultaneously, another company emerged in 1905. Founded by the Seguin brothers, the “Societe Des Moteurs Gnome” produced some of the first rotary engines for airplanes. In collaboration with Hispano-Suiza, a Barcelona-based car manufacturer looking to expand its production to airplanes and aircraft - a climate was created for some groundbreaking innovations in the aerospace industry.
In 1913 the first flight across the Mediterranean and the first loops flown were both supported by Gnome engines. But these weren’t the only pioneers that are now proud members of the Safran Group.
Messier Automobiles, founded in 1920, also switched their focus to produce some of the first, reliable aircraft landing gears. Just a year after that, in 1921, Labinal systems was founded as well. One-hundred years later, the same company is still operating and servicing some of the most famous international aircraft companies.
With the technology, engines, electrical components and landing gear in place, the logical next step focused on telecommunications. In 1925, one of the members of the Safran Group, a world-renowned company named Sagem, set the foundations for efficient communication systems.
In 1938, Turbomeca, a company dedicated to making efficient compressors for aircraft engines, brought us the first turbine helicopter, while Sagem designed the world’s first infrared guidance systems that helped send the first French satellites into orbit.
After WWII, Gnome & Rhone became a part of Snecma (Société Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation), which is responsible for the manufacture of the very first French jet engine. With Messier and Hispano Suza joining Snecma, the first version of what’s later going to become the Safran Group was formed. Together this collective helped produce the very first civil aircraft.
There are quite a few more companies and talented individuals that contributed to the growth of this organization. Once Sagem and Snecma merged in 2005, Safran was officially founded and has been operating under that name since.
Safran Group is known for its inventions and innovations that have shaped the aerospace industry. Even today their innovative technologies are reshaping the industry that they’ve created.
If you want to learn more about the History of the Safran Group, visit their website and check out their history and heritage page.
Peerless Electronics and Safran Power USA
Peerless Electronics has been an authorized distributor of Safran products since the 1970s. Visit our product pages and shop our wide selection of products manufactured by Safran.