Folland Aircraft

Folland Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer. He became known by the Folland Gnat fighter. Founded in 1936, in 1959 part of the Hawker Siddeley group.

History

1936 in Hamble -le -Rice ( Hampshire), at that time one of the centers of the British aircraft industry, which established British Navy Aircraft. The original intention was the license of the Sikorsky S -42 flying boat. Ultimately the license agreement did not come with Sikorsky.

1937 took over Henry Folland, former chief designer of the Gloster Aircraft Company, the manufacturer, and on December 24, 1937 the company was renamed Folland Aircraft Ltd. .. The company was active as a supplier and then placed first components for the Bristol Blenheim and the Bristol Beaufort, later for the de Havilland Mosquito and Vickers Wellington ago.

The first in-house development, which came on the planning stage at Folland was the Fo.108 of 1940, better known as Folland 43/37, which served as a testbed for aircraft engines. In 1950 became known already successful constructions British airplanes in World War II developer WEW was Petter to the chief engineer and manager of Folland.

Petter was of the opinion that the then developed fighter aircraft were too large and too costly. So he pursued the aim of developing a possible small and inexpensive jet-powered hunting machine. After the prototype, the Folland Midge, was the Folland Gnat in 1955. Although the aircraft became not as hoped for standard fighter of the Royal Air Force, but was a relatively successful export aircraft. Among other nations India bought some Gnat, built this machine that is licensed and developed them further to HAL Ajeet.

The name Folland disappeared after the company was merged into the Hawker Siddeley 1959 Group and has since performed as Hamble division. The Gnat was renamed Hawker Siddeley Gnat T.Mk1 and was for many years the standard machine of the famous Red Arrows aerobatic team.

Hawker Siddeley in 1977 became part of British Aerospace. The airfield was closed in Hamble 1986 assemblies for the BAE Hawk and Hawker Siddeley Harrier models were last there in the remaining production mounted.