AER – Biplane Manufacturing and Wartime Aviation in Orbassano (1915)

Incorporated in Orbassano outside Turin in 1915 following Italy’s entry into the First World War, the Società Anonima Aeronautica Torinese (AER) was formed to construct reconnaissance and training biplanes for the military aviation corps.

Wartime Aviation Mobilization and Caudron Licences

Facing an acute deficit of front-line reconnaissance aircraft, Italian military authorities contracted private workshops surrounding Turin to construct proven European airframes under licence. AER established extensive assembly sheds and wooden airframe construction halls in the rural plains of Orbassano, adjoining open grass landing grounds. The firm obtained manufacturing rights for the French-designed Caudron G.3 and G.4 biplanes, distinctive for their twin-boom tails, fabric-covered wooden wings, and open gondola nacelles. Skilled Piedmontese carpenters and mechanics rapidly achieved high assembly rates, equipping front-line reconnaissance flights and primary flight training academies across northern Italy.

Post-War Demobilization and Suburban Transformation

As wartime hostilities ceased in late 1918, military aviation procurement abruptly stopped, prompting AER to wind down its dedicated aviation assembly lines. The manufacturing assets and skilled workforce were subsequently integrated into Turin’s booming automotive and general engineering supply chains, providing specialized mechanical components for expanding regional industries.

Over the decades, the historic airfield and wooden hangars of Orbassano were decommissioned and absorbed by suburban expansion. Today, the former flight ground district has been entirely redeveloped into residential neighborhoods, schools, and civic green areas within the Orbassano metropolitan periphery.

Historic Site & Location