Societatea pentru exploatari technice
Encyclopedia
Societatea Pentru Exploatări Technice or SET ("Technical Development Society") was a Romanian aircraft manufacturer. It was established in Bucharest in 1923 by Grigore Zamfirescu as a general machinery manufacturing plant. It soon specialised in building aircraft to its founder's design, supplying the Romanian Air Force
with trainers during the mid 1930s. At the peak of aircraft production, Zamfirescu changed the company's name to "Fabrica de Avioanes SET". It was the second biggest Romanian pre-war aircraft manufacturer, after Industria Aeronautică Română
(IAR).
Most known were designs: SET 3
, SET 31, SET 7
, SET 41, SET XV
, SET 10
.
In the late 1930s, SET abandoned producing its own designs, and manufactured a number of IAR and foreign types under licence, including the IAR 27, IAR 39, Fleet 10, and Nardi FN.305. In 1938, the company made a deal with the Romanian government that would have seen it relocate its manufacturing facilities to Moldavia, with the government promising to purchase a minimum order of aircraft each year from the new plant. This venture was to have been called "Industria Nationala Aeronautica" ("National Aeronautical Industry"), but it failed to materialise when the Second World War intervened. During the war, SET built Heinkel He 111
s under licence.
SET continued to maintain and repair aircraft until the end of World War II, after which it continued business for a time outside the aeronautics industry.
Romanian Air Force
The Romanian Air Force is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, four air bases and an air defense brigade...
with trainers during the mid 1930s. At the peak of aircraft production, Zamfirescu changed the company's name to "Fabrica de Avioanes SET". It was the second biggest Romanian pre-war aircraft manufacturer, after Industria Aeronautică Română
Industria Aeronautica Româna
Industria Aeronautică Română or Romanian Aeronautic Industry in English, is a Romanian aerospace manufacturer founded in 1925. Based in Ghimbav, near Braşov, Romania, the company employs around 1200 specialists including more than 170 engineers...
(IAR).
Most known were designs: SET 3
SET 3
-References:* *...
, SET 31, SET 7
SET 7
-References:* *...
, SET 41, SET XV
SET XV
-References:* *...
, SET 10
SET 10
-References:* *Ion Gudju, Gheorghe Iacobescu, Ovidiu Ionescu: Romanian aeronautical constructions 1905-1974-External links:*...
.
In the late 1930s, SET abandoned producing its own designs, and manufactured a number of IAR and foreign types under licence, including the IAR 27, IAR 39, Fleet 10, and Nardi FN.305. In 1938, the company made a deal with the Romanian government that would have seen it relocate its manufacturing facilities to Moldavia, with the government promising to purchase a minimum order of aircraft each year from the new plant. This venture was to have been called "Industria Nationala Aeronautica" ("National Aeronautical Industry"), but it failed to materialise when the Second World War intervened. During the war, SET built Heinkel He 111
Heinkel He 111
The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Often described as a "Wolf in sheep's clothing", it masqueraded as a transport aircraft, but its purpose was to provide the Luftwaffe with a fast medium...
s under licence.
SET continued to maintain and repair aircraft until the end of World War II, after which it continued business for a time outside the aeronautics industry.