General Aircraft Limited

General Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1931 to amalgamation with Blackburn Aircraft in 1949 to become Blackburn and General. Their main products were military gliders and light transport aircraft.

History

General Aircraft Limited was formed at Croydon Aerodrome on 27 February 1931 to take over the assets of another aircraft company, the Monospar Wing Company Ltd. In October 1934 the company restructured and moved to Hanworth Aerodrome in Feltham. In 1936 the company received an order to build 89 Hawker Fury IIs; this was followed by other sub-contract work including the conversion of 125 Hawker Hinds into trainers. In 1938 the company bought the design of the Cygnet aircraft from the foundering C.W. Aircraft Ltd which was developed as the Cygnet II. The company also acted as a repair facility during the war for the Supermarine Spitfire, and it modified Hawker Hurricanes into Sea Hurricanes. General Aircraft became an important designer and manufacturer of gliders during the war. After the war the company had to diversify into the construction of pre-fabricated houses and car bodies.

The company had designed and started to build a large transport aircraft, the GAL.60 Universal. However, it realised it did not have the room or capacity to produce the aircraft in any number and approached the Blackburn Aircraft Ltd who were looking for work to keep its factory at Brough Aerodrome busy. This led to the two companies merging on the 1 January 1949 to form the Blackburn and General Aircraft Ltd. The first aircraft was transported from Farnham to Brough and the factory at Farnham was closed.

In 1943 Sikorsky helicopters were imported from the U.S.A. for experimental work. Supplied in crates, they were assembled and flown at Hanworth Airpark - one squadron for the R.A.F. and two squadrons for the Fleet Air Arm. Major overhauls were carried out at Hanworth on the helicopters, plus experimental work in Air Sea Rescue, limited by the weight-lifting capacity of the helicopters.

Designs (Croydon)

*General Aircraft Monospar ST-4
*General Aircraft Monospar ST-6

Designs (Hanworth)

*General Aircraft Monospar ST-10
*General Aircraft Monospar ST-11
*General Aircraft Monospar ST-12
*General Aircraft Monospar ST-18 Croydon
*General Aircraft Monospar ST-25 Jubilee
*General Aircraft Monospar ST-25 De Luxe
*General Aircraft Monospar ST-25 Universal
*General Aircraft GAL.26 re-engined experimental version of ST-25
*General Aircraft GAL.33 Cagnet
*General Aircraft GAL.38 Fleet Shadower - a fleet-following aircraft
*General Aircraft GAL.41 pressurised experimental aircraft based on the ST-25
*General Aircraft GAL.42 Cygnet II - a CW design.
*General Aircraft GAL.45 Owlet
*General Aircraft GAL.47
*General Aircraft GAL.48 Hotspur - a troop carrying glider
*General Aircraft GAL.49 Hamilcar I - a tank carrying glider
*General Aircraft GAL.55 - a two seat training glider
*General Aircraft GAL.56 - a flying wing glider
*General Aircraft GAL.58 Hamilcar X - a powered version of the Hamilcar I
*General Aircraft GAL.60 Universal Freighter - a freight carrying aircraft later becoming the Blackburn Beverley

References

*cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985)|year= |publisher= Orbis Publishing|location= |issn=
*cite book |last= Jackson|first= A.J.|authorlink= |coauthors= |title= British Civil Aircraft since 1919|year= 1974|publisher= Putnam|location= London|isbn=0 370 10014 X
*cite book |last= Smith|first= Ron|authorlink= |coauthors= |title= British Built Aircraft Greater London|year= 2002|publisher= Tempus Publishing|location= |isbn=0 7524 2770 9