Classic & Iconic British Aviation Ads Series: 1900 - 1970
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  A Pictorial History Of The British Aviation Industry From 1900 to 1970  From A Company Advertising and Marketing Perspective.
 

The Age Of Mergers & Acquisitions

The British Aircraft Corporation

The British Aircraft Corporation

In 1960 the British Aircraft Corporation (B.A.C.) was established in response to government pressure for consolidation in the aircraft and missile (aerospace) industry.

The principal players in the new company were English Electric Aviation Ltd., Vickers-Armstrong (Aircraft), the Bristol Aeroplane Company and Hunting Aircraft. However these historic aircraft manufacturers continued to market their products under their well known brand names. Look at ads for the English Electric Lightning, Vickers VC10, for example and notice the annotation Member Of The British Aircraft Corporation.

B.A.C. was destined to survive for just 17 years before further consolidation. It was nationalised as a result of the "Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act". This new group (statutory corporation), was named British Aerospace (BAe).

Although these mergers aroused much sentiment at the time it was inevitable as the costs of development and getting to market with new and ever more complex products were simply too great for any single company to bear.

It wasn`t all bad news though as B.A.C in its short life oversaw the introduction to service of the BAC 1-11 and triumphs of early European Cooperation in the form of the BAC/Aerospatiale Concorde, The Panavia Tornado and the Sepecat Jaguar.

  

 

The State Of Play 1960

Vickers Ltd
Vickers House.
London SW1 Abbey 7171

Employees 70,800      Capital £117.5m

40%

English Electric Co *
Marconi House
London WC2 Covent G 1234

 Employees 84,200      Capital £89.25m

40%

Bristol Aeroplane Co*
Filton House
Bristol Bristol 693831

Employees 11,000      Capital £19.3m

20%

Board - Products-Services

Board - Products-Services

Board - Products-Services

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Aircraft Division
Sir George Edwards

Guided Weapons Division
The Viscount Caldecote

The British Aircraft Corporation
British Aircraft Corporation Ltd
100 Pall Mall London W1 (WHI 1020)

Marshal of the RAF Viscount Portal of Hungerford, C ; Maj...
Gen. Sir Charles Dunphie. DC; Hon. George Nelson, DC;
Sir W. Reginald Verdon Smith; The Viscount Caldecote:
Sir George Edwards ; William Masterton ; G. A. Riddell ;
R. P. H. Yapp.

Employees 36,000      Capital £20m

V

Subsidiary

Subsidiary

Controlling Interest

Subsidiary

Bristol Aircraft Ltd
Filton House Bristol

J.F Harper GM

English Electric Aviation
Marconi House Lnd WC2

The Viscount Caldecote

Hunting Aircraft Ltd
Luton Airport Beds

W.A Summers

Vickers Armstrongs
Weybridge Surrey

Sir George Edwards

Products-Services

Products-Services

Products-Services

Products-Services

   
* English Electric Co Ltd (Summary) D.Napier & Son Ltd - Marconi's Wireless Telepgraph Co Ltd
 
* Bristol Aeroplane Co (Summary) - Bristol Aerojet (50%) - Bristol Aeroplane Co Australia - Bristol DE Mexico SA (78%) - Motores Bristol De Cuba SA - Bristol Aeroplane Co Of Canada - Bristol Aero Industries Ltd - Bristol Aeroplane Co USA - Spartan Air Services Ltd (46.5%) - Bristol Aeroplane Co New Zealand - Bristol Aircraft Services Ltd - Bristol Aeroplane Plastics Ltd - Bristol Siddely Engines Ltd (50%) - SECA (30%)  - Short Bros & Harland (15.25%)  - SVENSK-ENGELSK Aero Service AB - TABSA (25%) - Westland Aircraft Ltd (10%)
       
 

Government & Service Chiefs 1960
Prime Minister: Harold Macmillan (Con) - Secretary of State for Air: Julian Amery - Head Of The RAF: Sir Thomas Pike

British Aircraft Corporation - Members of The Board

British Aircraft Corporation - Members of The Board


Vickers Ltd -  Vickers House. London SW1     (Tel: Abbey 7171)

The Viscount Knollys. Ch; Maj.-Gen.Sir Charles Dunphie. M.D.; Lord Bicester; A. O. Bluth ; Sir Sam Brown ; Sir George Edwards : E. O. Faulkner: A. H. Hird ; G. H. Houlden ; Col. A. T. Maxwell ; W. D. Opher: D. L. Pollock : Sir Leslie Rowan : Lt.-Gen. The Lord Weeks : R.. P. H. Yapp.
Plant locations throughout UK and Commonwealth. Numerous subsidiary and associated companies, almost all entirely non aeronautical:
Armaments of all kinds ; buses : diesel engines (industrial, marine and rail traction) ; docks ; .dry dock. ; electronics ; excavators explosives : Hovercraft ; industrial plant for such Industries as bottling. brewing. civil engineering, earth moving. hydraulic power. mining. newspapers, refining, rubber, steel and sugar : industrial plastics: Instrumentation: nuclear research and production; petrel pumps; railway roiling stock (trailer, diesel , diesel electric and electric); ships of all kinds (passenger, passenger/cargo, tankers, and naval vessels from aircraft carriers to nuclear submarines): ship repair: steel in all forms; tractors. Vickers Research Ltd.

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The English Electric Co Ltd - Marconi House London WC2     (Tel: Covent Garden 1234)

The Lord Nelson of Stafford, Ch; Hon.George Nelson. M.D.: Dr. F. P. Bowden : The Viscount Caldecote : Sir Archibald Forbes ; P. Horsfall; G. G. Phillips ; Sir Charles Snow; Sir Edward Wilshaw; Sir John Woods.
Plant locations throughout the UK and Commonwealth. Numerous subsidiary and associated companies, many of aeronautical importance. Aircraft (production employees are not nominally English Electric Aviation or British Aircraft Corporation.) : aircraft electrical systems ; automation equipment ; computers : diesel engines ; domestic appliances (esp. refrigerators. cookers and washing machines) : electronics·; equipment to generate, distribute and use electric power: gas turbines (industrial): hydro electric plant ; klystrons : magnetrons marine propulsion; mining gear ; nuclear power on largest scale ; rail electrification ; roll traction (diesel. diesel-electric and electric) ; rectifiers ; relays : semiconductors : steam turbines ; switch gear  transformers ; TV camera tubes ; water turbines . Nelson Research and Engineering Laboratory.

D. Napier & Son Ltd - Acton London W3     (Tel: Shepherds Bush 1220)

H.Sammons. (Acton, Luton, Netherton Liverpool, Park Royal. Offices in Montreal and New York)
Aircraft gas turbines, de-icing systems, diesel engines (850-3500 HP); nuclear power, precision castings; ramjets, rocket engines, turbo-blowers

Marconi's Wireless & Telegraph Co Ltd. - Chelmsford Essex    (Tel: Chelmsford 3221)

R.E Burnett. (Chelmsford. Subsidiaries in Canada & S.Africa)
Aerial systems; air traffic control ; broadcast systems (sound , TV and colour) ; communications ( air, ground and marine). doppler systems ( air and ground) ; radar (ground and marine).

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The Bristol Aeroplane Co Ltd - Filton House Bristol     (Tel: Bristol 693831)

Bristol Aerojet (50%) - Bristol Aeroplane Co Australia - Bristol DE Mexico SA (78%) - Motores Bristol De Cuba SA - Bristol Aeroplane Co Of Canada - Bristol Aero Industries Ltd - Bristol Aeroplane Co USA - Spartan Air Services Ltd (46.5%) - Bristol Aeroplane Co New Zealand - Bristol Aircraft Services Ltd - Bristol Aeroplane Plastics Ltd - Bristol Siddely Engines Ltd (50%) - SECA (30%)  - Short Bros & Harland (15.25%)  - SVENSK-ENGELSK Aero Service AB - TABSA (25%) - Westland Aircraft Ltd (10%)
Sir W. Reginald Verdon Smith. Ch and JMD ; Sir G. Stanley White. Bt., DC; George · S. M. White, JMD; C. F. Uwins, DC. Air Chief Marshal Sir W. Alec Coryton ; Brian Davidson ; William Masterton.
Variously: Rocket motor cases, test vehicles, lightweight h.p. gas storage vessels, Aircraft & Engine overhaul and repair, spares, overhaul, drop tanks, effluent tanks, hulls for marine craft, piping, radomes, scanners, vehicle bodies, windshields etc, after sales for Bloodhound.. etc

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Bristol Aircraft Ltd - Filton House Bristol    (Tel: Bristol 693831)

J.F Harper GM   (Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff)
Bristol 188, Bristol 205, Bristol 216, Bloodhound, VC10 subcontract, electronics  (data processing, telemetry)

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English Electric Aviation - Marconi House London WC2   (Tel: Covent Garden 1234)

The Viscount Caldecote  (Accrington. Luton. Preston, Samlesbury , Stevenage , Warton.)
Blue Water. Lightning, Thunderbird. TSR.2, Service support for Canberra. Corporal.

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Hunting Aircraft Ltd - Luton Airport Beds    (Tel: Luton 6060)

W.A Summers (Luton)
H.107, Jet Provost, Ministry Of Aviation Research.

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Vickers Armstrongs (Aircraft Ltd)  - Weybridge Surrey - (Tel: Weybridge 5555)

Sir George Edwards (Hurn , London, Weybridge, Wisley)
Super VC10, Swallow study, TSR.2, Vanguard, Vigilant , Viscount, VC10, VC11.

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