Henry Philip Folland
Henry Philip Folland (1889–1954) was an English aviation engineer and aircraft designer.
1889 Born in Cambridge[1]
1891 Folland appears in the 1891 Census of Cambridge aged 2l he is living with three sisters, one brother and his parents Frederick and Mary Folland at 2 King Street, Holy Trinity, Cambridge. His father is listed as a Stonemason.
1911 Engineering Designer in the motor trade, boarding in Coventry[2]
He worked at the Royal Aircraft Factory at Farnborough from 1912, where he was the lead designer on the S.E.5 during the First World War. He also designed the Ruston Proctor Aerial Target, an anti-Zeppelin pilotless aircraft to use A M Low's control systems.
He left the Royal Aircraft Factory in 1917, joining the Nieuport and General Aircraft Co as chief designer, designing the Nieuport Nighthawk, which was adopted as a standard fighter by the Royal Air Force but did not enter service owing to the failure of its engine.
1920 Nieuport & General ceased operations
1921 Folland's services were taken up by the Gloster Aircraft Co, who had built Nighthawks under license during the First World War.
He was the chief designer for Glosters for many years, producing a range of successful fighter aircraft, until he left the company in 1937, following the takeover of Gloster by Hawker, feeling that Hawker designs would be favoured over his own.
He bought the British Marine Aircraft Company at Hamble, near Southampton, renaming it Folland Aircraft.
See Also
- Obituary in The Times, Tuesday, Sep 07, 1954