Exhibit 10.8

                            EMPLOYEE OPTION AGREEMENT
                                December 2, 1999


EMPLOYEE  OPTION  AGREEMENT,  dated as of the Grant  Date,  by and  between  the
Optionee and Hexcel Corporation (the "Corporation").

                                      W I T N E S S E T H:

WHEREAS,  the Corporation has adopted the Hexcel  Corporation  Incentive Stock
Plan (the "Plan"); and

WHEREAS, the Executive  Compensation Committee (the "Committee") of the Board of
Directors of the  Corporation  (the "Board") has determined that it is desirable
and in the best  interest of the  Corporation  to grant to the  Optionee a stock
option  as an  incentive  for the  Optionee  to  advance  the  interests  of the
Corporation;

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:

1. Notice of Grant;  Incorporation of Plan. A Notice of Grant is attached hereto
as Annex A and  incorporated  by reference  herein.  Unless  otherwise  provided
herein,  capitalized  terms used  herein  and set forth in such  Notice of Grant
shall have the meanings  ascribed to them in the Notice of Grant and capitalized
terms used herein and set forth in the Plan shall have the meanings  ascribed to
them in the Plan. The Plan is  incorporated by reference and made a part of this
Employee Option  Agreement,  and this Employee Option Agreement shall be subject
to the terms of the Plan, as the Plan may be amended from time to time, provided
that any such amendment of the Plan must be made in accordance with Section X of
the Plan. The Option  granted herein  constitutes an Award within the meaning of
the Plan.

2. Grant of Option. Pursuant to the Plan and subject to the terms and conditions
set forth herein and therein,  the Corporation hereby grants to the Optionee the
right and option (the "Option") to purchase all or any part of the Option Shares
of the  Corporation's  common  stock,  $.01 par  value per  share  (the  "Common
Stock"),  which Option is not intended to qualify as an incentive  stock option,
as defined in Section 422 of the Internal  Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
"Code").

3. Purchase  Price.  The purchase  price per share of the Option Shares shall be
the Purchase Price.

4.       Term of Option.

         (a) Expiration  Date;  Term.  Subject to Section 4(c) below, the Option
         shall  expire on,  and shall no longer be  exercisable  following,  the
         tenth anniversary of the Grant Date. The ten-year period from the Grant
         Date to its  tenth  anniversary  shall  constitute  the  "Term"  of the
         Option.




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         (b) Vesting Period; Exercisability.  Subject to Section 4(c) below, the
         Option shall vest and become  exercisable at the rate of 33-1/3% of the
         Option  Shares on each of the first  three  anniversaries  of the Grant
         Date.

         (c)  Termination of Employment; Change in Control.

         (i) For purposes of the grant hereunder,  any transfer of employment by
         the Optionee among the  Corporation and the  Subsidiaries  shall not be
         considered a termination  of employment.  If the Optionee's  employment
         with the  Corporation  is terminated  for Cause (as defined in the last
         Section  hereof),  the  Option,  whether or not then  vested,  shall be
         automatically  terminated  as  of  the  date  of  such  termination  of
         employment.  If the Optionee's  employment with the  Corporation  shall
         terminate  other than by reason of  Retirement  (as defined in the last
         Section  hereof),  Disability (as defined in the last Section  hereof),
         death or Cause, the Option (to the extent then vested) may be exercised
         at any time  within  ninety (90) days after such  termination  (but not
         beyond  the Term of the  Option).  The  Option,  to the extent not then
         vested, shall immediately expire upon such termination.

         If the  Optionee  dies or becomes  Disabled  (A) while  employed by the
         Corporation  or (B) within 90 days after the  termination of his or her
         employment  other  than for Cause or  Retirement,  the  Option  (to the
         extent then  vested) may be exercised at any time within one year after
         the  Optionee's  death or  Disability  (but not  beyond the Term of the
         Option).  The Option, to the extent not then vested,  shall immediately
         expire upon such death or disability.

         If the Optionee's  employment  terminates by reason of Retirement,  the
         Option shall (A) become fully and  immediately  vested and  exercisable
         and (B)  remain  exercisable  for  three  years  from  the date of such
         Retirement (but not beyond the Term of the Option).

         (ii) In the  event of a  Change  in  Control  (as  defined  in the last
         Section hereof),  the Option shall immediately  become fully vested and
         exercisable  and the  post-termination  periods of  exercisability  set
         forth  in  Section   4(c)(i)  hereof  shall  apply,   except  that  the
         post-termination  period of  exercisability  shall be extended  and the
         Option  shall remain  exercisable  for a period of three years from the
         date of such  termination of  employment,  if, within two years after a
         Change in Control,  (A) the Optionee's  employment is terminated by the
         Company other than by reason of Retirement,  Cause, Disability or death
         or (B) the  Optionee  terminates  the  Optionee's  employment  for Good
         Reason (as defined in the last Section hereof).


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5.       Adjustment Upon Changes in Capitalization.

         (a) The aggregate  number of Option Shares and the Purchase Price shall
         be appropriately adjusted by the Committee for any increase or decrease
         in the  number  of  issued  shares of  Common  Stock  resulting  from a
         subdivision or consolidation of shares or other capital adjustment,  or
         the payment of a stock  dividend or other  increase or decrease in such
         shares,  effected  without receipt of consideration by the Corporation,
         or other change in corporate or capital structure.  The Committee shall
         also  make the  foregoing  changes  and any  other  changes,  including
         changes  in  the  classes  of  securities  available,   to  the  extent
         reasonably  necessary or  desirable  to preserve the intended  benefits
         under  this  Employee  Option  Agreement  in the  event  of  any  other
         reorganization,   recapitalization,  merger,  consolidation,  spin-off,
         extraordinary  dividend or other  distribution  or similar  transaction
         involving the Corporation.

         (b) Any adjustment  under this Section 5 in the number of Option Shares
         and the Purchase Price shall apply to only the  unexercised  portion of
         the  Option.  If  fractions  of a share  would  result  from  any  such
         adjustment,  the adjustment  shall be rounded down to the nearest whole
         number of shares.

6.       Method of Exercising Option and Withholding.

         (a) The Option  shall be  exercised  by the delivery by the Optionee to
         the  Corporation  at its principal  office (or at such other address as
         may be established by the Committee) of written notice of the number of
         Option   Shares  with  respect  to  which  the  Option  is   exercised,
         accompanied by payment in full of the aggregate Purchase Price for such
         Option Shares. Payment for such Option Shares shall be made (i) in U.S.
         dollars by personal  check,  bank draft or money  order  payable to the
         order of the  Corporation,  or by money  transfers  or  direct  account
         debits to an account  designated by the  Corporation;  (ii) through the
         delivery of shares of Common  Stock with a Fair  Market  Value equal to
         the total payment due from the Optionee;  (iii) pursuant to a "cashless
         exercise"  program if such a program is established by the Corporation;
         or (iv) by any  combination  of the  methods  described  in (i) through
         (iii) above.

         (b) The Corporation's obligation to deliver shares of Common Stock upon
         the  exercise  of the Option  shall be  subject  to the  payment by the
         Optionee of applicable  federal,  state and local  withholding  tax, if
         any. The Corporation  shall,  to the extent  permitted by law, have the
         right to  deduct  from any  payment  of any kind  otherwise  due to the
         Optionee any federal, state or local taxes required to be withheld with
         respect to such payment.


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7.  Transfer.  Except  as  provided  in  this  Section  7,  the  Option  is  not
transferable otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and
the Option may be exercised during the Optionee's lifetime only by the Optionee.
Any attempt to transfer the Option in contravention of this Section 7 is void ab
initio.  The  Option  shall not be  subject to  execution,  attachment  or other
process.  Notwithstanding  the  foregoing,  the  Optionee  shall be permitted to
transfer the Option to members of his or her immediate  family (i.e.,  children,
grandchildren  or spouse),  trusts for the benefit of such family  members,  and
partnerships  whose only partners are such family  members;  provided,  however,
that  no  consideration  can be paid  for the  transfer  of the  Option  and the
transferee  of the Option shall be subject to all  conditions  applicable to the
Option prior to its transfer.

8. No Rights in Option  Shares.  The Optionee shall have none of the rights of a
stockholder  with respect to the Option Shares unless and until shares of Common
Stock are issued upon exercise of the Option.

9. No Right to Employment.  Nothing  contained  herein shall be deemed to confer
upon the Optionee any right to remain as an employee of the Corporation.

10. Governing Law/Jurisdiction. This Employee Option Agreement shall be governed
by and  construed in accordance  with the laws of the State of Delaware  without
reference to principles of conflict of laws.

11.  Resolution of Disputes.  Any disputes  arising under or in connection  with
this Employee Option Agreement shall be resolved by binding arbitration before a
single  arbitrator,  to be held in New York in  accordance  with the  commercial
rules and procedures of the American Arbitration Association.  Judgment upon the
award  rendered by the  arbitrator  shall be final and subject to appeal only to
the extent  permitted  by law.  Each party shall bear such  party's own expenses
incurred in connection with any arbitration; provided, however, that the cost of
the arbitration, including without limitation, reasonable attorneys' fees of the
Optionee,  shall be borne by the  Corporation  in the event the  Optionee is the
prevailing party in the arbitration.  Anything to the contrary  notwithstanding,
each party hereto has the right to proceed  with a court  action for  injunctive
relief or relief  from  violations  of law not  within  the  jurisdiction  of an
arbitrator.

12.  Notices.  Any notice  required  or  permitted  under this  Employee  Option
Agreement shall be deemed given when delivered personally,  or when deposited in
a United States Post Office, postage prepaid,  addressed, as appropriate, to the
Optionee at the last address specified in Optionee's employment records, or such
other address as the Optionee may designate in writing to the Corporation, or to
the Corporation,  Attention:  Corporate Secretary,  or such other address as the
Corporation may designate in writing to the Optionee.

13.  Failure To Enforce  Not a Waiver.  The  failure of either  party  hereto to
enforce at any time any provision of this Employee Option  Agreement shall in no
way be  construed  to be a waiver of such  provision  or of any other  provision
hereof.

14. Counterparts.  This Employee Option Agreement may be executed in two or more
counterparts, each of which shall be an original but all of which together shall
represent one and the same agreement.



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15.  Miscellaneous.   This  Employee  Option  Agreement  cannot  be  changed  or
terminated  orally.  This  Employee  Option  Agreement  and the Plan contain the
entire agreement between the parties relating to the subject matter hereof.  The
section headings herein are intended for reference only and shall not affect the
interpretation hereof.

16.  Definitions.  For purposes of this Employee Option Agreement:

         (I) the term "Beneficial  Owner" (and variants  thereof) shall have the
         meaning given in Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act;

         (II) the term "Cause" shall mean (A) the willful and continued  failure
         by the Optionee to substantially perform the Optionee's duties with the
         Corporation  (other than any such failure resulting from the Optionee's
         incapacity  due to physical or mental  illness)  after a written demand
         for  substantial  performance  is  delivered  to  the  Optionee  by the
         Corporation,  which demand specifically  identifies the manner in which
         the  Corporation  believes  that  the  Optionee  has not  substantially
         performed the  Optionee's  duties,  or (B) the willful  engaging by the
         Optionee in conduct which is demonstrably  and materially  injurious to
         the  Corporation  or its  subsidiaries,  monetarily or  otherwise.  For
         purposes of clauses (A) and (B) of this definition,  no act, or failure
         to act, on the Optionee's part shall be deemed  "willful"  unless done,
         or omitted to be done,  by the  Optionee  not in good faith and without
         the reasonable  belief that the Optionee's  act, or failure to act, was
         in the best interest of the Corporation;

         (III) the term  "Change in  Control"  shall  mean any of the  following
         events:

                           (1)(a) any Person (as defined in this  Section) is or
                  becomes the Beneficial  Owner of 20% or more of either (i) the
                  then   outstanding   Common  Stock  of  the  Corporation  (the
                  "Outstanding  Common Stock") or (ii) the combined voting power
                  of the then outstanding  securities entitled to vote generally
                  in the election of directors  of the  Corporation  (the "Total
                  Voting Power");  excluding,  however,  the following:  (A) any
                  acquisition by the Corporation or any of its affiliates or (B)
                  any  acquisition  by any  employee  benefit  plan (or  related
                  trust)  sponsored or maintained by the  Corporation  or any of
                  its  affiliates  and (b) Ciba  (as  defined  in this  Section)
                  beneficially  owns, in the aggregate,  a lesser  percentage of
                  the Total Voting Power than such Person beneficially owns; or



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                           (2) a change in the  composition  of the  Board  such
                  that the  individuals  who, as of the  effective  date of this
                  Employee   Option   Agreement,   constitute  the  Board  (such
                  individuals shall be hereinafter referred to as the "Incumbent
                  Directors")  cease  for any  reason to  constitute  at least a
                  majority of the Board; provided, however, for purposes of this
                  definition,   that  any  individual  who  becomes  a  director
                  subsequent  to  such  effective  date,   whose  election,   or
                  nomination for election by the Corporation's stockholders, was
                  made or approved  pursuant  to the  Governance  Agreement  (as
                  defined in this  Section)  or by a vote of at least a majority
                  of the Incumbent  Directors (or  directors  whose  election or
                  nomination for election was  previously so approved)  shall be
                  considered a member of the  Incumbent  Board;  but,  provided,
                  further,  that any such individual whose initial assumption of
                  office  occurs as a result  of either an actual or  threatened
                  election  contest  (as such  terms are used in Rule  14a-11 of
                  Regulation  14A  promulgated  under the Exchange Act) or other
                  actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or
                  on  behalf of a person or legal  entity  other  than the Board
                  shall not be considered a member of the Incumbent Board; or

                           (3)  the   approval  by  the   stockholders   of  the
                  Corporation of a  reorganization,  merger or  consolidation or
                  sale or other  disposition of all or substantially  all of the
                  assets   of   the   Corporation   ("Corporate   Transaction");
                  excluding,  however, such a Corporate Transaction (a) pursuant
                  to  which  all or  substantially  all of the  individuals  and
                  entities who are the beneficial owners,  respectively,  of the
                  Outstanding  Common Stock and Total  Voting Power  immediately
                  prior to such Corporate  Transaction  will  beneficially  own,
                  directly or indirectly,  more than 50%,  respectively,  of the
                  outstanding  common stock and the combined voting power of the
                  then outstanding  securities entitled to vote generally in the
                  election  of  directors  of the  company  resulting  from such
                  Corporate  Transaction  (including,   without  limitation,   a
                  corporation  which as a result  of such  transaction  owns the
                  Corporation or all or substantially  all of the  Corporation's
                  assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries) in
                  substantially   the  same   proportions  as  their   ownership
                  immediately  prior  to  such  Corporate   Transaction  of  the
                  Outstanding  Common Stock and Total Voting Power,  as the case
                  may be,  or (b)  after  which no  Person  beneficially  owns a
                  greater  percentage  of the combined  voting power of the then
                  outstanding  securities  entitled  to  vote  generally  in the
                  election of directors of such corporation than does Ciba; or

                           (4) Ciba shall  become the  Beneficial  Owner of more
                  than 57.5% of the Total Voting Power; or

                           (5)  the   approval  by  the   stockholders   of  the
                  Corporation  of a complete  liquidation  or dissolution of the
                  Corporation;

         (IV) the term "Ciba" shall mean Ciba Specialty  Chemicals Holding Inc.,
         a Swiss corporation,  together with its affiliates holding  Corporation
         voting  securities  pursuant  to  Section  4.01(b)  of  the  Governance
         Agreement;



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         (V) the term "Disability (or becoming  Disabled)" shall mean that, as a
         result of the  Optionee's  incapacity due to physical or mental illness
         or injury,  he or she shall not have performed all or substantially all
         of his or her usual  duties as an  employee  of the  Corporation  for a
         period  of more  than  one-hundred-fifty  (150)  days in any  period of
         one-hundred-eighty (180) consecutive days;

         (VI) the term "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities  Exchange Act of
         1934, as amended from time to time;

         (VII) the term "Good  Reason" for  termination  by the  Optionee of the
         Optionee's employment shall mean the occurrence (without the Optionee's
         express  written  consent)  of any  one of the  following  acts  by the
         Corporation, or failures by the Corporation to act, unless, in the case
         of any act or failure to act  described in  paragraphs  (1), (5) or (6)
         below,  such act or  failure to act is  corrected  prior to the date of
         termination of the Optionee's employment:

                                    (1) a significant  adverse alteration in the
                  nature or status of the Optionee's responsibilities,  position
                  or  authority  from those in effect  immediately  prior to the
                  Change in Control;

                                    (2) a reduction  by the  Corporation  in the
                  Optionee's  annual base salary as in effect on the date hereof
                  or as the same may be increased from time to time;

                                    (3)  the   relocation   of  the   Optionee's
                  principal  place of  employment  to a location more than fifty
                  (50) miles from the Optionee's  principal  place of employment
                  immediately   prior  to  the   Change   in   Control   or  the
                  Corporation's  requiring the Optionee to work  anywhere  other
                  than at such  principal  place  of  employment  (or  permitted
                  relocation   thereof)   except  for  required  travel  on  the
                  Corporation's  business to an extent substantially  consistent
                  with the Optionee's present business travel obligations;

                                    (4) the failure by the Corporation to pay to
                  the   Optionee   any   portion  of  the   Optionee's   current
                  compensation,  or to pay to the  Optionee  any  portion  of an
                  installment  of  deferred   compensation  under  any  deferred
                  compensation program of the Corporation, within seven (7) days
                  of the date such compensation is due;




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                                    (5)  the  failure  by  the   Corporation  to
                  continue in effect any compensation plan in which the Optionee
                  participates  immediately prior to the Change in Control which
                  is  material  to the  Optionee's  total  compensation,  or any
                  substitute  plans  adopted  prior to the  Change  in  Control,
                  unless  an  equitable  arrangement  (embodied  in  an  ongoing
                  substitute or alternative  plan) has been made with respect to
                  such plan, or the failure by the  Corporation  to continue the
                  Optionee's  participation  therein (or in such  substitute  or
                  alternative  plan) on a basis not materially  less  favorable,
                  both in terms of the amount or timing of  payment of  benefits
                  provided  and  the  level  of  the  Optionee's   participation
                  relative to other  participants,  as existed immediately prior
                  to the Change in Control; or

                                    (6)  the  failure  by  the   Corporation  to
                  continue to provide the Optionee with  benefits  substantially
                  similar  to those  enjoyed  by the  Optionee  under any of the
                  Corporation's  pension,  savings,  life  insurance,   medical,
                  health and accident, or disability plans in which the Optionee
                  was  participating  immediately prior to the Change in Control
                  (except for  across-the-board  changes similarly affecting all
                  senior executives of the Corporation and all senior executives
                  of any Person in control  of the  Corporation),  the taking of
                  any other action by the  Corporation  which would  directly or
                  indirectly  materially  reduce any of such benefits or deprive
                  the Optionee of any  material  fringe  benefit  enjoyed by the
                  Optionee at the time of the Change in Control,  or the failure
                  by the  Corporation to provide the Optionee with the number of
                  paid  vacation  days to which the  Optionee is entitled on the
                  basis of years of service with the  Corporation  in accordance
                  with the Corporation's normal vacation policy in effect at the
                  time of the Change in Control.

         The Optionee's  right to terminate the  Optionee's  employment for Good
         Reason  shall  not be  affected  by the  Optionee's  incapacity  due to
         physical or mental illness.  The Optionee's  continued employment shall
         not  constitute  consent to, or a waiver of rights with respect to, any
         act or failure to act constituting Good Reason hereunder.

         For  purposes of any  determination  regarding  the  existence  of Good
         Reason,  any claim by the  Optionee  that Good Reason  exists  shall be
         presumed to be correct unless the Corporation  establishes to the Board
         by clear and convincing evidence that Good Reason does not exist;

         (VIII) the term "Governance  Agreement" shall have the meaning given in
         the Strategic Alliance Agreement (as defined in this Section);

         (IX) the term "Person" shall have the meaning given in Section  3(a)(9)
         of the Exchange  Act, as modified and used in Sections  13(d) and 14(d)
         of the Exchange Act, but excluding  Ciba for so long as Ciba is subject
         to the restrictions imposed by the Governance Agreement;

         (X) the term  "Retirement"  shall mean  termination  of the  Optionee's
         employment,  other  than by reason of death or Cause,  either (A) at or
         after  age  65 or (B) at or  after  age 55  after  five  (5)  years  of
         employment by the Corporation (or a Subsidiary thereof); and



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         (XI) the term "Strategic  Alliance  Agreement" shall mean the Strategic
         Alliance  Agreement  among  the  Corporation,  Ciba-Geigy  Limited  and
         Ciba-Geigy Corporation, dated as of September 29, 1995, as amended, and
         any of their respective permitted successors or assigns thereunder.


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                                     Annex A


                                 NOTICE OF GRANT
                              EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION
                     HEXCEL CORPORATION INCENTIVE STOCK PLAN

         The following employee of Hexcel  Corporation,  a Delaware  corporation
("Hexcel") or a Subsidiary, has been granted an option to purchase shares of the
Common Stock of Hexcel,  $.01 par value,  in  accordance  with the terms of this
Notice of Grant and the Employee Option  Agreement to which this Notice of Grant
is attached.

         The following is a summary of the  principal  terms of the option which
has been granted. The terms below shall have the meanings ascribed to them below
when used in the Employee Option Agreement.

----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------

Optionee
----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------
----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------

Address of Optionee
----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------
----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------

Employee Number
----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------
----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------

Employee ID Number
----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------
----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------

Foreign Sub Plan, if applicable
----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------
----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------

Grant Date                                            December 2, 1999
----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------
----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------

Purchase Price                                        $5.75
----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------
----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------

Aggregate Number of Shares
Granted (the "Option Shares")
----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------


         IN  WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the  parties  hereby  agree to the terms of this
Notice of Grant and the Employee Option  Agreement to which this Notice of Grant
is attached and execute this Notice of Grant and Employee Option Agreement as of
the Grant Date.

                                                     HEXCEL CORPORATION
Optionee


                                                     By:

                                                     David M. Wong
                                                     Vice President, Corporate
                                                     Affairs


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