A subsidiary of Aérospatiale, which itself was formed by a merger of Sud-Aviation, Nord-Aviation, and SEREB in 1970, Socata is responsible for development and production of all the organization's light aircraft. Before the formation of Aérospatiale, Sud-Aviation had acquired from France's well-known designer Yves Gardan a license to build and market a four-seat all-metal light aircraft of his design. Known as the GY-80 Horizon, the prototype had flown for the first on 21 July 1960, and Socata was to build more than 250 before production ended in 1969.

A cantilever low-wing monoplane, the Horizon  had a wing the whole of whose trailing-edge was made up of two Frise type ailerons and four Fowler type flaps. The landing gear was of semi-retractable tricycle type, rather more than half of each wheel remaining 4exposed when retracted. Standard powerplant was a   160-hp (119-kW) Avco Lycoming 0-320-D engine driving a fixed-pitch two-blade propeller, but a more powerful engine and three-blade constant-speed propeller were optional.

The resulting basic day-flying aircraft was more competitively priced, but could have more sophistication in the form of higher-performance powerplant, night-flying equipment, and nav/com radio if the customer so required.

Type: four-seat light cabin monoplane
    Powerplant: (optional) one 180-hp (134-kW) Avco Lycoming 0-360-A flat four piston engine

    Performance: (with optional 0-360-A and c/s propeller maximum level speed 155mph (250km/h) at sea level; cruising speed 152 mph (245 km/h) at 8,200 ft (2500 m); service ceiling 15,420 ft (4700 m); range with maximum optional fuel 777 miles (1250)

    Weights: empty 1,378 lb (625 kg); maximum take-off 2,535 lb (1150 kg)

    Dimensions: span 31 ft 9 3/4 in (9.70 m); length 21 ft 9 1/2 in (6.64 m); height 8 ft 6 1/4 in (2.60  m); wing area 139.9 sq ft (13.0 sq meters)