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Kingstons Aviation Period
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Sopwith Aviation Company Founded
The Sopwith Aviation Company is founded by Sir Thomas Sopwith age 24. Tommy Sopwith buys the old kingston roller skating rink as a factory -
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Sopwith Aviation Company
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Sopwith Bat Boat built
In 1913 thanks to a collaboration with the S.E Saunders boatyard of the Isle Of Wight the Bat Boat was created, a plane which could operate on land or sea. -
Sopwith Camel Enters Cervice
The Sopwith Camel enters service on the western front in WW1. The Camel was very agile and one became the most sucessful fighter aircraft in the history of the RAF, shooting down 46 enemy planes and baloons in just over 400 hours of opertional flying. -
Bat Boat factory opens
In 1914, a small factory to produce the Sopwith Bat Boat opens in Woolston, Hampshire. -
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Sopwith during WW1
During WW1, Sopwith Aviation Company expanded massively, employing 5,000 workers and producing over 16,000 aircraft. These planes included the famous Sopwith Camel -
Sopwith Camel First Flight
The Sopwith Camel for the first time. -
Sopwith Aviation Starts To Fail
By 1919, after WW1, Sopwith Aviation had attempted and failed to manufacture and sell cheaper versions of wartime planes. In at attempt to remain in operation they tried to create motorcycles and engines, this however never worked. -
Sopwith Aviation Company Closes
In 1920 the Sopwith Aviation Company shut, unable to make profits and facing demands for money from the government. -
H.G Hawker Engineering Created
Soon after the closing of Sopwith Aviation, Tommy Sopwith and Harry Hawker created a new company named H.G Hawker Engineering. -
H.G Hawker Engineering Renamed
The company was now named Hawker Aircraft Limited, and during the great depression, the company bought the Gloster aircraft company. -
Hawker Hart
The Hawker Hart was a two seater biplane which acted as a light bomber for the RAF between the first and second world war. -
Hawker Siddeley Created
Durinng the next few years, Hawker Aircraft bought several enigine and car companies including Armstrong Siddeley. -
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane was the aircraft that almost single handedly won the battle of Britain, accounting for over 60% of the RAF'S victories. One of the key aspects of the Hurricane was the fact that a large part of it was made of wood making repairs cheap and easy compared to similar aircraft such as the spitfire. -
Hawker Typhoon
The Typhoon was a single seater fighter and bomber originally intended as a modern replacement for the Hawker Harrier. This requirement was never met due to design flaws and problems encountered during construction. -
Hawker Sea Fury
The Hawker Sea Fury the last propeller driven plane used by the royal navy and one of the fastest ever planes of its type. The Sea Fury was specially adapted to land on aircraft carriers and was exported to Canda and Australia as well as fighting in the Korean war. -
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter was an easily manouverable fighter aircraft that fought at sub sonic speeds. It was very sucessful, serving with 21 other airforces. This aircraft was one of the first in the RAF to have radar. -
Hawker Kestrel
The Hawker Kestrel is the last aircraft made by the companies to be branded "hawker" -
Hawker Harrier
The "jump jet" was developed to the NATO specification of a "light tactical support fighter" and was capeable of a vertical takeoff though pilots usually used a short runway to save fuel. The Hawker Harrier was adapted several times including being remodeled to land on aircraft carriers. They were decomissioned controvertially as part of a defence review, this was unusual as it saved less than £1 billion whereas to decomission another class of fighter would have saved £ 7.5 billion.
