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While not the first aircraft manufacturer in Britain, Bristol had the distinct advantage of being created by a well-established businessman, rather than an enthusiastic aviator, by the name of Sir George White. Bristol grew rapidly, from a few hangars at the influential Larkhill in Wiltshire to a new site at Filton, and, up to 2012, was one of the key aviation design, development and manufacturing locations in Britain. Thanks to the many talented designers, engineers, test pilots, not to mention the vision of Sir George over a century ago, Bristol has made its mark on the aviation industry with revolutionary aircraft, and a number of firsts and records along the way. Both military and civilian aircraft and the engines, piston, turboprop and jet have benefited from the standard in engineering excellence that was set on the hallowed turf of Filton. This book explores the history of the company, and the aircraft that it produced.

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The desire for airliners that could fly faster and higher than all that had gone before them was ingrained into the commercial aviation world from the end of the Second World War. The STAC (Supersonic Transport Advisory Committee) was formed in October 1956 and would be in charge of development of and responsible for the many manufacturers that would be needed to build an aircraft named Concorde. Bearing in mind the complexity of the aircraft, Concorde was one of the world's safest considering the distances it travelled and the eye-watering speed at which it flew. This made the loss of the Air France Concorde in 2000 a particularly unfitting beginning of the end' for the airliner which courted controversy right to the final . It was a combination of factors that saw the airliner enter retirement three years later but the bottom line is that Concorde was getting old and, despite being built like the proverbial brick out-house', constant supersonic cycles take their toll, and that kind of punishment would not be expected of a military aircraft, let alone a civilian one. The Concorde was an incredible achievement from the outset, built by two different nations that overcame every technical problem that arose (which were innumerable) to produce, by far, the most iconic airliner ever built. This book explores the failures, triumphs and history of this aircraft, from its beginning to its end.

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It is fair to say that the DC-3 was the very first true airliner, and it paved the way for the hundreds of increasingly advanced commercial aircraft that have emerged over the eighty years since Douglas' design was developed. The story of the C-47 is of course well known, but the history of the civil DC-3 (which directly led to the creation of the C-47) is often overlooked, having been overshadowed by the exploits of its military counterpart. This is perhaps understandable, but it would be wrong to underestimate the importance of the DC-3. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the DC-3's story is that the aircraft is still very much in business today, almost eighty years since the first examples took to the skies. Even though the aircraft has long since made way for larger, faster and more capable airliners, the DC-3 is still a sturdy, versatile, inexpensive and reliable aircraft. Although the numbers of active aircraft inevitably dwindle with time, it would be impossible to predict when the very last examples will finally be withdrawn from commercial use. The mighty DC-3 will seemingly fly forever.

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In the latter half of World War Two, the War Cabinet sanctioned the formation of a committee to consider a post-war world of air transport. Appointed to chair the group, which included politicians, engineers, businessmen and aircraft builders, was John Theodore Cuthbert Moore-Brabazon (later Lord Brabazon of Tara). This was an inspired choice, as Brabazon was the first man in Britain to hold a Private Pilot's Licence. He had advocated and promoted aviation in Britain from the earliest days. The Brabazon Committee also had the foresight to embrace an emerging method of propulsion: gas-turbine or jet engine technology. They, rightly, placed piston-engines - which were quite advanced at the time - at the forefront but made a case for the gas-turbine. This enabled Geoffrey de Havilland and Ronald Bishop to begin building a pure-jet airliner to be powered by engines designed by Frank Halford. A very brave move from de Havilland and one that gave Britain the lead over the rest of the world. The de Havilland DH 106 Comet aircraft made history as the first jet airliner to fly and also as the first to off er a scheduled jet passenger service. Even though more than sixty years have elapsed since that first flight, the story of the Comet continues to excite and inspire.

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One of the many ingredients required for creating a great aircraft company is the ability to diversify, and this was just one of the strengths that would keep the Fairey Aviation Company in business from 1915 through to 1960. Like so many other aircraft manufacturers of the day, it found its feet by taking on sub-contract work, and, while this was being carried out, it began to build on its own aircraft portfolio. Fairey did not just sit back and produce aircraft in line with specifications, they designed new features that would be incorporated in all aircraft in the future. The company's greatest, and most surprising, success story came about when the ubiquitous Swordfish, affectionately known as the Stringbag' entered production in 1936. The company's venture into rotary wing aircraft would eventually become its undoing, despite huge technical achievements being achieved in a very short space of time. Soaked up by Westlands in 1960, the legacy of the company's final aircraft, the Rotodyne, still lives on today, and only now, in the 21st Century, is the world really ready for such a fantastic machine. This book explores the fascinating history of the company and the aircraft it produced.

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It seems incredible that a mere 33 years separates the maiden flights of the Barnes Wallis-designed R.100 airship from the beautiful VC10 airliner. It is also remarkable that, in 2013, the latter is still in service, albeit in dwindling numbers, but still representing a company that was formed 102 years ago! Although the VC10 was prefixed with BAC by the time of its entry into service, the aircraft represents the rapid rise of Vickers, which actually embarked on its first aeronautical project in 1908, before establishing an official aviation department in 1911. Vickers produced over 70 different types of aircraft during a 49-year period, not including a host of sub-variants, the Wellington, for example, having 19 alone. Not all were successful, but every one contributed, however small, another nugget of experience, which was either ploughed into the next aircraft or stored away for the future. An ability to think outside the box', was another of Vickers' fortes. A good example of this was not only employing Barnes Wallis, but having such faith in his ideas, which must have seemed quite radical at the time, especially his perseverance and ultimate success with geodetic construction. Wallis had no shortage of critics and many dyed in the wool' employees of Vickers, during the early days, left the company because of his ideas. However, history has shown us that he was right about geodetics, and like Hawker with its Hurricane and Supermarine with its Spitfire, only God knows what the RAF would have done without the Wellington at the beginning of the Second World War. This book gives readers an insight into the aircraft produced by Vickers, as well as a history of the aircraft company itself.

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Founded in 1910 by Alliott Verdon Roe, A.V. Roe and Company Limited built its first military aircraft two years later. By 1914, the company was literally flying when it designed the first of many iconic aircraft in the shape of the Avro 504, which sold in colossal numbers and was the key factor in keeping the company in the aviation industry after the end of the First World War, while many others fell by the wayside. In 1936, Avro became part of the new Hawker Siddeley group and within two years was operating a new factory at Chadderton, where, together with Newton Heath, all focus was on building the Anson, Blenheim and later the Manchester. Following production of just 200 Manchesters, attention turned to one of the greatest bombers of the Second World War, the Lancaster, of which over 7,300 were built. This caused further expansion at Avro's main Woodford base, part use of Ringway and a shadow' factory at Yeadon under Avro control throughout the war years. Although an obvious contraction of orders took place during the post-war years, Avro was, thanks to its earlier successes, a big player in the British aviation industry and would continue to produce an iconic range of military aircraft. The last hurrah was the delightful 748 which just scrapes into this publication as the final example of an aircraft solely designed by Avro, while some still remain in service today. Of the company's big three, examples of the 504, Lancaster and Vulcan also remain airworthy as testimony to what they achieved, the men who flew them and the great aircraft manufacturer that designed and built them. Many more are extent in museums across the world. This company profile is one of several that will have to be divided into two parts, one military and one civilian, although there will be some crossover, as many types served in both capacities. Avro deserves two entries in the series, and this book gives a good grounding to the huge and diverse range of aircraft that this once proud manufacturer produced.

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It may be hard to imagine in 2012, but Great Britain was once filled with a plethora of aircraft manufacturers. One hundred years ago, the seeds of many of them were being sown, as the demand for aircraft gained pace following the outbreak of the First World War. Not all survived following the armistice and the subject of this book, Supermarine, only kept going by the skin of its teeth and certainly did not settle into a profitable aircraft manufacturing business until the mid to late 1920s. However, with the genius mind of Reginald Joseph Mitchell on board, the company could do no wrong and without doubt, the company's most famous and well-known product was the Spitfire. The colossal orders received for the fighter set the company on a steady post-war course which, once again, was a period that saw other companies fall by the wayside. Following Mitchell's demise, we must not forget the man who carried the baton, Joe Smith, who developed the Spitfire and Seafire into a machine that remained in production for ten years, ultimately ending its service career in Korea. Smith did not just ride on that back of Mitchell's designs and was responsible for the Spiteful, Seafang and the Attacker to name but a few. This book gives readers an insight into the aircraft produced by Supermarine, and those that did not quite make it, as well as a history of the aircraft company itself.

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Curtiss, as a company, contributed a great deal in establishing the US aircraft industry firmly on the world stage, but behind every great company is usually one forward thinking man, and in this case, it was Glenn Hammond Curtiss. By the end of World War One, the company had built over 10,000 aircraft. Glenn Curtiss would remain a director until his premature death in 1930\. In 1929, the company merged to become Curtiss-Wright. The lack of research and development invested in the company leading up to the jet age also saw the premature demise of Curtiss-Wright itself. The aircraft Curtiss-Wright created leading up to World War Two were not the best, but the company's business-like approach to aircraft manufacturing meant that it could produce large numbers for a variety of customers, foreign included, at a reasonable price. However, in 1947, its one attempt at breaking into the area of jet aircraft had failed and the aviation side of Curtiss-Wright was sold to North American Aviation. This new book edition of Aeroplane's Curtiss Company Profile 1907-1947 showcases the aircraft of this manufacturer from the start of operations until the end.

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