The Coléoptère was one of multiple efforts to produce a viable VTOL aircraft being conducted around the world throughout the 1950s. SNECMA had previously experimented with several wingless test rigs, known as the Atar Volant, which influenced the design.
One of many VTOL aircraft development initiatives in the 1950s, the Coléoptère was influenced by earlier experiments conducted by SNECMA. The company tested several wingless prototypes called Atar Volant, which informed the Coléoptère's design.