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Aviation History
1924
1924 - 0302.PDF
MAY 29, 1924 THE BRITISH AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY Brief Biographical and Historic Sketch [In the following notes we have attempted to set out, for the benefit of our Czechoslovak readers, a very brief outline of the past history and present activities of the various British aviation firms and aero engine firms, with a short reference to the personalities responsible for the conduct of the firms. To our British readers this section of our special Supplement may appear somewhat superfluous, but it should be remembered that the Central European nations have not had quite the same opportunity to become intimately acquainted with the history and doings of the firms of -which the British aircraft industry is composed.—ED.] BRITISH AIRCRAFT FIRMS Thj Aircraft Disposal Co., Ltd. Head Office : Regent House, Kingsway, London, W.C. 2. Works : Waddon, Croydon, Surrey. When the Aircraft Disposal Company was founded :. few months after the Armistice, enormous stocks of Government surplus aircraft, aero engines and equipment were taken over, and the first thing to be done was to evolve order out of the chaos existing at the time. Within a comparatively short period Major J. R. Grant, who is manager of the Waddon depot, had succeeded in so arranging the enormous stocks that any machine, engine or piece of equipment could be instantly drawn from stock. A rigorous system of inspection has been instituted whereby each machine which is to be overhauled has all the fabric stripped off and every part and fitting thoroughly examined, any faulty part being replaced by a new one. The same thorough inspection is devoted to the aero engines, which are dismantled, examined, and any defective parts scrapped. The engine is then re-erected and is given a test run before leaving the factory. With such care bestowed upon re-conditioning of machines and engines, it is scarcely to be wondered at that the Aircraft Disposal Company has established an excellent reputation, and under the energetic leadership of Colonel M. O. Darby, managing director of the firm, Aircraft Disposal Company machines have been supplied to a very great number of different nations. In fact, except for the few large countries who have kept well to the fore in aircraft construction ever since the early days, it is fairly safe to say that there is hardly a country to which this firm has not supplied British machines. A few months ago the Aircraft Disposal Company took over the name, goodwill and manufacturing rights of Martinsyde Aeroplanes, and it is understood that the firm will soon be in a position to undertake the construction of aircraft of original design. Apart from the re-conditioned war-time types of machines, the Aircraft Disposal Company also act as selling agents for quite a large number of the British aircraft firms. The Air Navigation and Engineering Co., Ltd. Head Office and Works : Addlestone, Surrey. This firm was known in earlier times as Bleriot Aero nautics, and started work in a small factory building on the Brooklands aerodrome just before the war. During the war the firm was busily engaged upon the construction of Bleriot and Spad machines and other types, and the Brooklands works soon became too small. The firm's activities were then transferred to the present factory at Addlestone, where a great number of machines were produced. The name was changed from Bleriot Aeronautics to the present title, but the managing director of the firm is still Mr. Norbert Chereau. Among the machines constructed by this firm in recent times mention may be made of the Handasyde commercial mono planes, the Handasyde light monoplane, built for the 1923 competitions, and the A.N.EC. light monoplanes, which did so well in the competitions at Lympne last year. The firm has also acquired the British rights for the special forms of metal construction evolved by the Bleriot factories in France. Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth Aircraft, Ltd. London Office : 10, Old Bond Street, W.l. Works : Coventry. Some slight confusion might easily be caused by the similarity in title of Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft, Ltd., and Armstrong Siddeley Motors, Ltd. Briefly explained, the position is this, that Armstrong Siddeley Motors, Ltd., is allied with Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Co., Ltd., whose aircraft section has been transferred to Coventry, and whose machines are known as Armstrong Whitworth aircraft. Mr. J. D. Siddeley is Managing Director of both firms, but there is a separate designing and works staff for the aircraft and for the aero engine section. Mr. Siddeley made his first entry into aviation during the war by producing the now famous Siddeley " Puma " engine. It was not until towards the end of the war that Armstrong Siddeley Motors, Ltd., established an aircraft department, and this has now, as already explained, become known as Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft, Ltd. This firm has produced a considerable number of different types of machines, some of which are illustrated and described in another section of this article. It may be mentioned that the firm is now developing special forms of metal construction, and that considerable success has already been attained. Wm. Beardmore and Co. Ltd. Head Office and Works : Naval Construction Works, Dalmuir, Dumbartonshire, Scotland. The famous armament firm of Beardmores will be well known to our Czechoslovak readers, but it may be pointed out that the two sections dealing with aircraft and aero engines are situated at Dalmuir and Glasgow, respectively. With regard to the aircraft section, this was busily engaged during the war upon the construction of machines of various types, but during the years following the war, this section of the great firm was allowed to lie idle, and it was not until quite recently that it has been decided to resume aircraft design and construction. Mr. W. S. Shackleton, the designer of the successful A.N.EC. light monoplanes, has now joined Beardmore's as Chief Designer, and has already commenced the construction of one or two new types, while others are still in the design stage only. The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co., Ltd. London Office : Amberlev House, Norfolk Street, Strand, W.C.2. Head Office and Works : Olympia, Leeds. Seaplane Base : Brough, near Hull. Mr. Robert Blackburn, the founder and head of the Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co., Ltd., is one of the pioneers of British aviation, having built his first aeroplane in 1909. From that date until the present time the history of Blackburn aircraft has been one of steady progress. During the war the firm built at first various types of machines under licence. It was not long, however, before they turned their attention to original design, and a number of different types were produced, both seaplanes and land machines. Of recent years the Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. have specialised in torpedoplanes, and one of these, the " Dart," will be shown at the Prague Aero Show, where consequently Czechoslovak readers of FLIGHT will have an opportunity of examining the machine for themselves. Boulton and Paul, Ltd. London Office : 135-137, Queen Victoria Street, E.C. 4. Head Office and Works : Norwich, Norfolk. Boulton and Paul, Ltd., of Norwich, is a very old firm of general engineers, who first took up aircraft construction during the war, commencing by building F.E.2b machines designed by the Royal Aircraft Factory. A large number of machines of various types were constructed during the war, and it was then decided to get together a staff capable of original design. Mr. J. D. North was engaged as Chief Engineer and Designer, and has remained with Boulton and Paul, Ltd., in that capacity ever since. Mr. North, who was a trained engineer before he turned his attention to aviation, soon became convinced that metal aircraft construction was the thing of the future, and he succeeded in getting his firm to see eye to eye with him in this matter. The consequence was that the huge plant established during the war for the production of the usual composite wood and metal type of aircraft was scrapped, and the aircraft section became devoted entirely to the subject of all-metal construction. For the last five or six years novel methods have been evolved, the firm having spent a very great deal of time and money in discovering the best ways of employing metal to the best advantage. So successful have they been 302
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