Société_Astra
Société Astra
French manufacturer of balloons, airships, and aeroplanes
Société Astra des Constructions Aéronautiques was a major French manufacturer of balloons, airships, and aeroplanes in the early 20th century. It was founded in 1908 when Henri Deutsch de la Meurthe purchased Édouard Surcouf's[1] workshops at Billancourt. Its most significant product was the Astra-Torres airship designed by Spanish engineer Leonardo Torres Quevedo,[2][3] but beginning in 1909, the firm also produced Wright brothers heavier-than-air designs under licence. In 1912, these were supplanted by Astra's own designs, the Astra C and CM.