IN MEMORIAM
RENE J. FRANCILLON
René J. FRANCILLON, an award-winning aviation writer, wanted this 30th anniversary re-edition of one of his most popular books to add information previously not available and to make it, at last, a color book.
As this project was almost ready, fate intervened: René passed away in Vallejo, California, on March 8, 2018, just three days shy of his 81st birthday.
Born in Italy in 1937, René was raised in France and educated in Switzerland.
He immigrated to the United States in 1961.
Three years later, during a brief return to Switzerland, he received a Ph.D. in Air Transportation Economics from the Université de Lausanne and, immediately after returning to California, became a naturalized US citizen.
Except for short-term assignments in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific, he has resided in California for most of the past 57 years.
Between 1961 and 1986, Dr. Francillon worked for a major bank, two leading aircraft manufacturers, and a large engineering company.
With these firms, he was successively responsible for financing jetliners, undertaking cost effectiveness studies for military aircraft projects, conducting market research study for transport aircraft, planning and designing commercial airports, and designing military air base facilities.
Since moving to Vallejo, California, in 1986, he devoted his time to writing for aviation publications in the United States and abroad.
In addition, he had undertaken occasional air transportation consulting assignments, last doing so for the governments of Brunei, Guinea-Bissau, and Papua New Guinea.
He had also provided consulting services to the US Department of Defense and Department of Justice, as well as to law firms representing Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
His first aviation article was published in Belgium in 1958.
Thereafter, while working in the aerospace industry, he authored five award-winning books in the Putnam Aeronautical collection :
Altogether, Dr. Francillon authored, in English as well as in French, 58 aviation books, edited or contributed to 20 others, and written over 400 aerospace articles on current and historical aircraft, civil and military affairs, the aerospace industry, airlines, and airports.
He has received awards from:
• the Aviation/Space Writers Association (Best Technical Book, 1980, and Best Technical Book/Western Region, 1983),
• the Aéro-Club de France (Best Aviation Book published in a foreign language, 1980, and Special Award for Lifetime Contribution to World Aviation Recorded History, 1991), and
• the Royal Aeronautical Society (Boeing Decade of Excellence for Aviation Journalism, Millennium Award, 2000, and MTU Award for Best Propulsion Submission, 2002).
Over the past quarter of a century, his articles have been published in America (Air Fan International, Airliners, Airpower, Air Reservist, Aviation Week & Space Technology, Combat Aircraft, IECO Tech Papers, Journal of Military Aviation, and Strategic Policy), Belgium (Bulletin of the SIA), Brazil (Aviação em Foco, Flap internacional and Segurança & Defesa), France (Air Fan, Air Action, Avions, Héraclès, and Le Fanatique de l’Aviation), Japan (Koku Fan), Poland (Skrzydlata Polska), Switzerland (Hélico Revue), and the United Kingdom (AIR Enthusiast, Air Forces Monthly, Airliners World, Air Pictorial, Profile, Putnam Aeronautical Review, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft, Warplane, Wings of Fame, and World Air Power Journal).
His latest book (Lockheed F-104 Starfighter – L’histoire controversée du ZIPPER) was released in France by Lela Presse in mid-2017.
More than all the above, René was a kind, cheerful man, always ready to help.
Ce n’est qu’un au revoir, René, et merci pour tout.
Christian Jacquet-Francillon, Les Essarts Le Roi, September 2018
As this project was almost ready, fate intervened: René passed away in Vallejo, California, on March 8, 2018, just three days shy of his 81st birthday.
Born in Italy in 1937, René was raised in France and educated in Switzerland.
He immigrated to the United States in 1961.
Three years later, during a brief return to Switzerland, he received a Ph.D. in Air Transportation Economics from the Université de Lausanne and, immediately after returning to California, became a naturalized US citizen.
Except for short-term assignments in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific, he has resided in California for most of the past 57 years.
Between 1961 and 1986, Dr. Francillon worked for a major bank, two leading aircraft manufacturers, and a large engineering company.
With these firms, he was successively responsible for financing jetliners, undertaking cost effectiveness studies for military aircraft projects, conducting market research study for transport aircraft, planning and designing commercial airports, and designing military air base facilities.
Since moving to Vallejo, California, in 1986, he devoted his time to writing for aviation publications in the United States and abroad.
In addition, he had undertaken occasional air transportation consulting assignments, last doing so for the governments of Brunei, Guinea-Bissau, and Papua New Guinea.
He had also provided consulting services to the US Department of Defense and Department of Justice, as well as to law firms representing Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
His first aviation article was published in Belgium in 1958.
Thereafter, while working in the aerospace industry, he authored five award-winning books in the Putnam Aeronautical collection :
- Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War
- McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920, volumes 1 and 2
- Lockheed Aircraft since 1913
- Grumman Aircraft since 1929
Altogether, Dr. Francillon authored, in English as well as in French, 58 aviation books, edited or contributed to 20 others, and written over 400 aerospace articles on current and historical aircraft, civil and military affairs, the aerospace industry, airlines, and airports.
He has received awards from:
• the Aviation/Space Writers Association (Best Technical Book, 1980, and Best Technical Book/Western Region, 1983),
• the Aéro-Club de France (Best Aviation Book published in a foreign language, 1980, and Special Award for Lifetime Contribution to World Aviation Recorded History, 1991), and
• the Royal Aeronautical Society (Boeing Decade of Excellence for Aviation Journalism, Millennium Award, 2000, and MTU Award for Best Propulsion Submission, 2002).
Over the past quarter of a century, his articles have been published in America (Air Fan International, Airliners, Airpower, Air Reservist, Aviation Week & Space Technology, Combat Aircraft, IECO Tech Papers, Journal of Military Aviation, and Strategic Policy), Belgium (Bulletin of the SIA), Brazil (Aviação em Foco, Flap internacional and Segurança & Defesa), France (Air Fan, Air Action, Avions, Héraclès, and Le Fanatique de l’Aviation), Japan (Koku Fan), Poland (Skrzydlata Polska), Switzerland (Hélico Revue), and the United Kingdom (AIR Enthusiast, Air Forces Monthly, Airliners World, Air Pictorial, Profile, Putnam Aeronautical Review, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft, Warplane, Wings of Fame, and World Air Power Journal).
His latest book (Lockheed F-104 Starfighter – L’histoire controversée du ZIPPER) was released in France by Lela Presse in mid-2017.
More than all the above, René was a kind, cheerful man, always ready to help.
Ce n’est qu’un au revoir, René, et merci pour tout.
Christian Jacquet-Francillon, Les Essarts Le Roi, September 2018
AeroSphere Research Copyright © 2021