Amazing Gloucestershire Aircraft Company
Founded as the Gloucestershire Aircraft Company Limited during the First World War, with the aircraft construction activities of H H Martyn & Co Ltd of Cheltenham, England it produced fighters during the war. It later became part of the Hawker Siddeley group and the Gloster name disappeared in 1963
In 1917, during the midst of the First World War, the Gloster Aircraft Company Limited was formed under the name The Gloucestershire Aircraft Company Limited. At the time of its creation, its owners were Hugh Burroughes (1884–1985) and H H Martyn & Co Limited, who held a 50 per cent share between them, and aircraft manufacturer Airco held the other 50 per cent. On the company's board were A W Martyn, Burroughes, and George Holt Thomas of Airco. The firm quickly acquired the aircraft component construction activities that were previously being carried out by H H Martyn & Co Limited for the war effort in order to perform subcontracted work from Airco; the provision of additional production capacity had been a major motivating factor for Airco's involvement in founding the company. H H Martyn were architectural engineers and had produced items such as propellers before moving to whole fuselages for Airco.
The firm rented facilities at Sunningend in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire to serve as their works. By the spring of 1918, the company was producing 45 new Bristol Fighter aircraft per week.
In 1945, a Meteor F Mk.4 prototype, stripped of armament, achieved a World Airspeed Record of 606 mph (975 km/h) with Group Captain H. Wilson at the controls. During early 1946, another F Mk.4 prototype was used to set a world air speed record of 616 mph (991 km/h) true airspeed with Group Captain "Teddy" Donaldson flying the highly modified Meteor, nicknamed "Yellow Peril."
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| Industry | Aviation |
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| Founded | 1917; 107 years ago (as Gloucestershire Aircraft Company) |
| Defunct | 1963; 61 years ago |
| Fate | Merged with Armstrong Whitworth (1961) and Avro (1963) |
| Successor | Hawker Siddeley Aviation |
| Headquarters | Hucclecote, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom |
| Key people | George Carter |
| Parent | Hawker Aircraft (1934) |
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In 1917, during the midst of the First World War, the Gloster Aircraft Company Limited was formed under the name The Gloucestershire Aircraft Company Limited.[1] At the time of its creation, its owners were Hugh Burroughes (1884–1985) and H H Martyn & Co Limited, who held a 50 per cent share between them, and aircraft manufacturer Airco held the other 50 per cent. On the company's board were A W Martyn, Burroughes, and George Holt Thomas of Airco. The firm quickly acquired the aircraft component construction activities that were previously being carried out by H H Martyn & Co Limited for the war effort in order to perform subcontracted work from Airco; the provision of additional production capacity had been a major motivating factor for Airco's involvement in founding the company. H H Martyn were architectural engineers and had produced items such as propellers before moving to whole fuselages for Airco
Aircraft Designed by Gloster aircraft.
Merged with Armstrong Whitworth (1961) and Avro (1963)
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Main article: List of Gloster aircraft click here
Famous Aircraft
Famous Aircraft
Incorporated into
Year Founded
Owners At the time of its creation, its owners were Hugh Burroughes (1884–1985) and H H Martyn & Co Limited,
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Building on the success and popularity of the Dash 8-100/200/300 aircraft.
Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia is a twin-turboprop 30-passenger commuter airliner Embraer.
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| A Gloster Gladiator in RAF markings | |
| Role | Fighter |
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| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Gloster Aircraft Company, Ltd. |
| Designer | Henry Phillip Folland |
| First flight | 12 September 1934 |
| Introduction | 23 February 1937 |
| Retired | 1953 (Portugal) |
| Primary users |
Royal Air Force
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| Number built | 747 |
| Developed from | Gloster Gauntlet |
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