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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0379.PDF
VICTORS FROM RADLETT Extension of Handley Page Factory Opened OF all the great names in Britain's aircraft industry none ismore renowned than that of Sir Frederick Handley Page.The company which bears his name was founded in 1909 and from 1912 the main production factory has been at Crickle-wood, in North-West London. By 1930, however, the expansion of London's built-up area made it clear that a new site would berequired and the company accordingly established an aerodrome at Radlctt, Hertfordshire, which was opened in that year by PrinceGeorge, later Duke of Kent. Both Cricklewood and Radlett expanded during and after WorldWar 2. Since the ending of Halifax production, the company have built Hermes and Hastings transports and Canberra bombers,most of the manufacturing being done at Cricklewood and assembly and flying being centred on Radlett. Now, however,the company's great effort is devoted to the Victor medium bomber (the Herald is the prime responsibility of Handley Page,Reading) and this vital programme has made necessary further considerable expansion to the facilities available at Radlett. On March 26th the Minister of Supply, Mr. Reginald Maud-ling, opened a new aircraft-erection hall at Radlett, and the occasion was also the debut of the production Victor (and, inci-dentally, of the Vampire which has been used for flight-developing the company's boundary-layer control programme, which will bediscussed in more detail next week). There are really two establishments at Radlett. Park Street,at the northern end, is the research, development and experi- mental-flying centre. The equipment installed there includes ahigh-speed tunnel driven by three Nene turbojets, and one of the largest—if not the largest—structural-test frames in the country,in which a Victor airframe has undergone a full programme of testing. The Park Street establishment was described and illus-trated in our July 31st, 1953, issue. At the southern end of the airfield is the Colney Street establishment, devoted principallyto assembly and erection of aircraft, although a low-speed tunnel and the flying-control offices are also situated there.Handley Page have formulated a major programme, to be Five production Victor B.I medium bombers lined up in the new extension to the Handley Page erection hall at Radlett last week. Nearest the camera is XA918 which, as the heading photograph shows, was displayed in flight for our camera. "Flight" photographs
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