Flug- und Fahrzeugwerke Altenrhein
Swiss aircraft and railcar company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Flug- und Fahrzeugwerke Altenrhein AG (FFA) (English: Flight and Driving Vehicle Plant Altenrhein) was a Swiss aircraft and railroad car manufacturing company based at Altenrhein (SG). It was originally part of Dornier Flugzeugwerke, but was split off in 1948. It also made bodies for trolleybuses.[1][2]
| Industry | Manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Switzerland |
| Products | Aircraft, railroad cars, trolleybus bodies |
History
In the years following World War II, FFA manufactured fighter aircraft for the Swiss Air Force, based on Morane-Saulnier designs as the D-3803. These were eventually replaced in service by surplus P-51 Mustangs.
In the 1950s, FFA developed a jet fighter, the P-16. The P-16 project, while promising, was cancelled after two crashes, and Hawker Hunters were bought instead. Also the project for a Bizjet SAAC-23 was cancelled. In the 1960s the company built the Diamant series of sailplanes.[3][4][5]
The firm built many aircraft under licence for Swiss use, including the de Havilland Vampire, de Havilland Venom, Dassault Mirage III, and F-5 Tiger II.[citation needed]
In 1987, the company name was bought back by Dornier. The railway division first went to Schindler, ultimately becoming part of Stadler Rail in 1997.[citation needed]
