Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft
Encyclopedia
Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Company, or Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft, was a British aircraft manufacturer.
engineering group in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1912, and from c. 1914 to 1917 employed the Dutch aircraft designer Frederick Koolhoven
(hence the "F.K." models).
In 1920, Armstrong Whitworth acquired the engine
and automobile manufacturer Siddeley-Deasy
. The engine and automotive businesses of both companies were spun off as Armstrong Siddeley
and the aircraft interests as the Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Company. When Vickers
and Armstrong Whitworth merged in 1927 to form Vickers-Armstrongs, Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft and Armstrong Siddeley were bought out by J. D. Siddeley and did not join the new grouping. This left two aircraft companies with Armstrong in the name Vickers-Armstrongs (known usually as just "Vickers") and "Armstrong-Whitworth"
In 1935, J. D. Siddeley retired and Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft was purchased by Hawker Aircraft
, the new group becoming Hawker Siddeley Aircraft. The component companies of Hawker Siddeley co-operated, but operated as individual entities.
Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft was eventually merged with another Hawker Siddeley company, Gloster Aircraft Company
, to form Whitworth Gloster Aircraft in 1961. In 1963 Hawker Siddeley dropped the names of the component companies from its products, the last Armstrong Whitworth product, the Argosy
, becoming the Hawker Siddeley Argosy.
Armstrong Whitworth Aerial Department
Armstrong-Siddeley Aircraft
Armstrong-Whitworth Aircraft
History
Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft was established as the Aerial Department of the Sir W. G Armstrong Whitworth & CompanyArmstrong Whitworth
Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. Headquartered in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth engaged in the construction of armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles, and aircraft.-History:In 1847,...
engineering group in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1912, and from c. 1914 to 1917 employed the Dutch aircraft designer Frederick Koolhoven
Frederick Koolhoven
Frederick Koolhoven was an aircraft designer in Britain and his native Netherlands.Koolhoven was born in Bloemendaal, Netherlands. After training as an engineer in Liège and Antwerp, he worked from 1907 as a mechanical engineer for Minerva in Antwerp, and also drove in races and rallies for them....
(hence the "F.K." models).
In 1920, Armstrong Whitworth acquired the engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
and automobile manufacturer Siddeley-Deasy
Siddeley-Deasy
Siddeley-Deasy was a British automobile, engine and aircraft company based in Coventry in the early 20th century. It was central to the formation, by merger and buy-out, of the later Armstrong Sideleley Motor and Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft companies....
. The engine and automotive businesses of both companies were spun off as Armstrong Siddeley
Armstrong Siddeley
Armstrong Siddeley was a British engineering group that operated during the first half of the 20th century. It was formed in 1919 and is best known for the production of luxury motor cars and aircraft engines.-Siddeley Autocars:...
and the aircraft interests as the Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Company. When Vickers
Vickers Limited
Vickers Limited was a famous British engineering conglomerate that merged into Vickers-Armstrongs in 1927.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &...
and Armstrong Whitworth merged in 1927 to form Vickers-Armstrongs, Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft and Armstrong Siddeley were bought out by J. D. Siddeley and did not join the new grouping. This left two aircraft companies with Armstrong in the name Vickers-Armstrongs (known usually as just "Vickers") and "Armstrong-Whitworth"
In 1935, J. D. Siddeley retired and Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft was purchased by Hawker Aircraft
Hawker Aircraft
Hawker Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer responsible for some of the most famous products in British aviation history.-History:...
, the new group becoming Hawker Siddeley Aircraft. The component companies of Hawker Siddeley co-operated, but operated as individual entities.
Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft was eventually merged with another Hawker Siddeley company, Gloster Aircraft Company
Gloster Aircraft Company
The Gloster Aircraft Company, Limited, known locally as GAC, was a British aircraft manufacturer. The company produced a famous lineage of fighters for the Royal Air Force : the Grebe, Gladiator, Meteor and Javelin. It also produced the Hawker Hurricane and Hawker Typhoon for the parent company...
, to form Whitworth Gloster Aircraft in 1961. In 1963 Hawker Siddeley dropped the names of the component companies from its products, the last Armstrong Whitworth product, the Argosy
Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy
The Armstrong Whitworth Argosy was a British post-war military transport/cargo aircraft and was the last aircraft produced by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft...
, becoming the Hawker Siddeley Argosy.
Aircraft
Date of first flight in parenthesis.Armstrong Whitworth Aerial Department
- Armstrong Whitworth F.K.1 (1914) – "Sissit"
- Armstrong Whitworth F.K.3Armstrong Whitworth F.K.3-See also:...
(1915) - Armstrong Whitworth F.K.6Armstrong Whitworth F.K.6|-See also:-References:*Bruce, J.M. British Aeroplanes 1914-18. London:Putnam, 1957.*Bruce, J.M. War Planes of the First World War: Volume One Fighters. London:Macdonald, 1965....
(1916) – Escort fighter triplane - Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8The Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8 was a British two-seat general-purpose biplane built by Armstrong Whitworth during the First World War. The type served alongside the better known R.E.8 until the end of the war, at which point 694 F.K.8s remained on RAF charge....
(1916) – "Big Ack" (1,200 built) - Armstrong Whitworth F.K.9 (1916)
- Armstrong Whitworth F.K.10Armstrong Whitworth F.K.10-See also:-External links:...
(1917) – "Quadriplane" (8 built) - Armstrong Whitworth ArmadilloArmstrong Whitworth Armadillo|-See also:...
- Armstrong Whitworth AraArmstrong Whitworth Ara|-See also:...
(1919) - Armstrong Whitworth Tadpole
- Armstrong Whitworth SiskinArmstrong Whitworth SiskinThe Armstrong Whitworth Siskin was a British biplane single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1920s produced by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. The Siskin was one of the first new RAF fighters to enter service after the First World War; it was noted for its aerobatic qualities.-Design and development:The...
(1919)
Armstrong-Siddeley Aircraft
- Armstrong-Siddeley Sinaia (1921) – Bomber (1 built)
Armstrong-Whitworth Aircraft
- Armstrong Whitworth AwanaArmstrong Whitworth Awana|-References:NotesBibliography...
(1923) - Armstrong Whitworth WolfArmstrong Whitworth Wolf|-See also:...
(1923) - Armstrong Whitworth AtlasArmstrong Whitworth Atlas|-See also:-External links:* *...
(1925) - Armstrong Whitworth AjaxArmstrong Whitworth Atlas|-See also:-External links:* *...
(1925) - Armstrong Whitworth A.W.14 StarlingArmstrong Whitworth Starling|-See also:-External links:*...
- Armstrong Whitworth ApeArmstrong Whitworth Ape-References:*Tapper, Oliver. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft since 1913. London:Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-826-7....
(1926) - Armstrong Whitworth ArgosyArmstrong Whitworth Argosy-Video:*-References:NotesBibliography*Mondey, David, ed., The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of the World's Aircraft: Military and Civil Aviation From the Beginnings to the Present Day. Secaucus, New Jersey: Chartwell Books Inc., 1978, ISBN 0-89009-771-2....
(1926) - Armstrong Whitworth A.W.16Armstrong Whitworth A.W.16-External links:* *...
- Armstrong Whitworth A.W.17 Aries (1930)
- Armstrong Whitworth A.W.15 AtalantaArmstrong Whitworth Atalanta-See also:-References:FootnotesNotesBibliography* Flight, 8 July 1932, pp. 619–623.* Flight, 15 July 1932, pp. 661–665.* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft . London: Orbis Publishing, 1985....
(1932) - Armstrong Whitworth A.W.19 (1934)
- Armstrong Whitworth A.W.23 (1935)
- Armstrong Whitworth A.W.29
- Armstrong Whitworth A.W.35 ScimitarArmstrong Whitworth Scimitar|-See also:-External links:*...
(1935) - Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 WhitleyArmstrong Whitworth WhitleyThe Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley was one of three British twin-engine, front line medium bomber types in service with the Royal Air Force at the outbreak of the Second World War...
(1936) - Armstrong Whitworth A.W.27 EnsignArmstrong Whitworth Ensign|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bridgman, Leonard. Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. New York: Crescent Books, 1988. ISBN 0-517-67964-7.-External links:* *...
(1938) - Armstrong Whitworth A.W.41 AlbermarleArmstrong Whitworth AlbemarleThe Armstrong Whitworth A.W.41 Albemarle was a British twin-engine transport aircraft that entered service during the Second World War.Originally designed as a medium bomber that could be built by non-aviation companies without using light alloys, the Albemarle never served in that role, instead...
(1940) - Armstrong Whitworth A.W.52Armstrong Whitworth A.W.52-See also:- External links :*** at *...
(1947) – flying wing, prototype only
- Armstrong Whitworth ApolloArmstrong Whitworth Apollo|-See also:-References:* A.J. Jackson, British Civil Aircraft since 1919:Volume 1. London:Putnam, 1974. ISBN 0-370-10006-9. pp 285* King, Derek. The Armstrong Whitworth Apollo. Air-Britain Aviation World Vol 56 No. 4 Winter 2004, pp 164–165.ISSN 1742-996X* Tapper, Oliver. Armstrong Whitworth...
(1949) - Armstrong Whitworth Argosy (AW.650 / 660)Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 ArgosyThe Armstrong Whitworth Argosy was a British post-war military transport/cargo aircraft and was the last aircraft produced by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft...
(1959) - Armstrong Whitworth AW.681Armstrong Whitworth AW.681|-See also:-External links:*...
– proposed STOL military transport aircraft design - Armstrong Whitworth AW.169 – proposed design for Operational Requirement F.155Operational Requirement F.155Operational Requirement F.155 was a specification issued by the British Ministry of Supply for an interceptor aircraft to defend the United Kingdom from high-flying supersonic bombers....
high altitude supersonic interceptor - Armstrong Whitworth AW.171Armstrong Whitworth AW.171|-References:*Williams, Ray. "Paper Planes:Armstrong Whitworth's unbuilt projects". Air Enthusiast, Forty-three, 1991. ISSN 0143-5450. pp. 60–79.-External links:*...
– supersonic VTOL flying wing - Hawker Sea HawkHawker Sea HawkThe Hawker Sea Hawk was a British single-seat jet fighter of the Fleet Air Arm , the air branch of the Royal Navy , built by Hawker Aircraft and its sister company, Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. Although its origins stemmed from earlier Hawker piston-engined fighters, the Sea Hawk became the...
– produced as part of Hawker Siddeley Aircraft - Armstrong Whitworth Meteor NF.11Gloster MeteorThe Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
– redesign of the Gloster Meteor produced as part of Hawker Siddeley Aircraft
Airships
- R25r airship
- R29R23X class airship-References:* Griehl, Manfred and Joachim Dressel. Zeppelin! The German Airship Story, 1990 ISBN 1-85409-045-3* Morpurgo, J.E. Barnes Wallis - A Biography, Longman, 1972 ISBN 0-582-10360-6...
– airship - R33 – airship