Blackburn and General Aircraft
1949 The Blackburn Aircraft Co amalgamated with General Aircraft as Blackburn and General Aircraft as part of a post-war move to consolidate aircraft manufacturing. Reduction in demand for Percival Prentice aircraft and for Cirrus engines which were used in light aircraft. Subsidiary Humberside Agricultural Products Co Ltd delivered its first tractor[1]
1950 Board-room splits left the company without a permanent managing director for some time. The Feltham factory was closed and work moved to Brough. The Universal freighter had its first flight. Future work at Dumbarton was put in question because of change in government policy about building houses[2]
1951 Acquired Thomas Green and Son of Leeds, maker of lawn mowers and road rollers[3]
1953 Production of the Beverley, the military counterpart of the Universal, was being ramped up for the RAF. The flying school was shut because of change in policy for service training[4]
1954 Blackburn and General Aircraft, Ltd. (Pipe-bending Division), Brough, E. Yorks. T.: Brough 121. Pipe-bending equipment.[5]
1956 Acquired Jowett, which had been a maker of cars[6]. One third of Group turnover came from sources other than the Government[7]
1958 Beverley production ended; the N.A.39 was only just at the prototype stage[8]. Set up separate unit to make and sell electronic equipment for industrial applications, making use of the experience of the company's electronics department[9]
1959 The group was renamed Blackburn Group - 3 new operating subsidiaries were created[10]:
- Blackburn Aircraft
- Blackburn Engines
- Blackburn Electronics
together with existing subsidiaries[11]:
- Blackburn (Dumbarton), the building and civil engineering division
- Thomas Green and Son
- Jowett Engineering
- London Air Syndicate
- Universal Flying Services
as well as an associated company: Megator Pumps and Compressors
1960 Absorbed into Hawker Siddeley as part of the rationalisation of British aircraft manufacturers
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Times , Jan 08, 1949
- ↑ The Times, Dec 06, 1950
- ↑ The Times, Sep 11, 1951
- ↑ The Times, Sep 01, 1953
- ↑ 1954 The Aeroplane Directory of the Aviation and Allied Industries
- ↑ The Times Sep 24, 1955
- ↑ The Times, Jul 31, 1956
- ↑ The Times, Jul 21, 1958
- ↑ The Times, Nov 20, 1958
- ↑ The Times Apr 01, 1959
- ↑ The Times, Aug 06, 1959