Although Societe Wassmer was founded in 1905 as a woodworking business, it was not until 1955 that the company entered aircraft production. They built several hundred examples of the Jodel D.112 and D.120 and a number of WA-20 Javelot and WA-30 Bijave gliders, before embarking on the design of a new type, the Wassmer WA-40 Super 1V. This was a four seat tourer featuring a retractable tricycle undercarriage and was available in three versions with different standards of equipment. It was followed on the production line by the Wassmer WA-40A Super 1V (57 built) which had a swept fin. An economy fixed undercarriage version, the Wassmer WA-41 Baladou (58 built), was first flown in 1965. Around a quarter of the WA-40/40A/41’s production survive with a large percentage of those remaining airworthy. A Model WA-41 Baladou is illustrated below.

                                D-EDCF               c/n 157                          France Photo: Henk Wadman

4 seat light aircraft first flown in 1959

Engine: 180hp(134kW) Lycoming O-360-A1A                                                                                   Length: 24’11"(7.59m)                                                                                          Height: 9’5"(2.87m)Wingspan: 32’9.5"(9.99m)                                                                                                No.built: 52 Range: 900miles(1448km)                                                               Cruising speed: 140mph(225kmh) Empty weight: 1320lb(599kg)                                                Maximum take-off weight: 2645lb(1200kg)

A Wassmer WA-41 is shown below.

  F-BMYM                     c/n 94                                

      G-ATZS                 c/n 128                                        

A Model WA-40 Super 1V is shown below.

  F-OBUC                   c/n 37                                 

Wassmer WA-40 Super 1V Side view 1/144 scale

Side view 1/108 scale

Side view 1/72 scale