Beardmore Aviation: The Story of a Scottish Industrial Giant's Aviation Activities
Overview
How Scotland’s great engineering house went airborne. Drawing on original company archives and Admiralty papers, this study traces Beardmore from Sopwith shipboard fighters and Handley Page bombers to HMS Argus—the first true flat‑deck carrier. It documents the W.B. aircraft family, the Inflexible, and the Typhoon/Cyclone/Tornado engines of the R101 era, with production totals, contracts, and rare factory photography.
At a Glance
- Category: Scottish Aviation History
- Pages: 378
- Publication Year: 2023
- ISBN: 9780957344303
- Condition: New
- In Stock: Yes
- Price: £12.91
- Weight: 378g
- Era: Pre-WWI, WWI (1914-1918), Inter-War (1918-1939)
- Aircraft / Systems: Airships, Early Biplanes, Naval Aircraft, Transport Aircraft
- Geographic Focus: Scotland, Britain
- Research Themes: Industrial Aviation, Airship Development, Scottish Manufacturing, R101 Project, Military Aviation
- Academic Use: Imperial War Museum, Royal Aeronautical Society…
- Sources: Primary Sources, Archival Research, Technical Analysis
Scope and Coverage
Era
- Pre-WWI
- WWI (1914-1918)
- Inter-War (1918-1939)
Aircraft and Systems
- Airships
- Early Biplanes
- Naval Aircraft
- Transport Aircraft
Geographic Focus
- Scotland
- Britain
Research Themes
- Industrial Aviation
- Airship Development
- Scottish Manufacturing
- R101 Project
- Military Aviation
Source Types
- Primary Sources
- Archival Research
- Technical Analysis
Research and Sources
Source types: Primary Sources, Archival Research, Technical Analysis.
Primary sources include the Beardmore company archives held at the Mitchell Library, Glasgow; Admiralty records at The National Archives, Kew; and the Imperial War Museum's extensive photographic collection. Personal testimonies were gathered from the families of former Beardmore employees.
Used by: Imperial War Museum, Royal Aeronautical Society, Glasgow University, Edinburgh University.
Technical Specifications
Table of Contents
- Foreword and Acknowledgments
- Chapter 1: The Origins of Beardmore Aviation (1913-1914)
- Chapter 2: Early Aircraft Development and the Beardmore W.B.III
- Chapter 3: The Great War Years - Military Aircraft Production
- Chapter 4: Airship Development - From Coastal Patrol to R101
- Chapter 5: Post-War Commercial Aviation Ventures
- Chapter 6: The Inflexible and Other Naval Aircraft
- Chapter 7: Engine Development - The Beardmore Halford Pullinger
- Chapter 8: International Contracts and Export Success
- Chapter 9: Financial Challenges and Corporate Restructuring
- Chapter 10: The Final Years (1925-1930)
- Chapter 11: Technical Legacy and Historical Assessment
- Appendices: Aircraft Specifications and Production Numbers
- Bibliography and Primary Sources
- Index
Author’s Note
This book represents five years of intensive research into the Beardmore company archives, many of which had never been examined by aviation historians. I was granted unprecedented access to the company's technical drawings, correspondence, and production records. The R101 chapter alone is based on over 200 previously unpublished documents that reveal the true extent of Beardmore's contribution to this ill-fated project.