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

Westland Aircraft Ltd

Shortly after World War 2, Westland Aircraft opened negotiations with the United Aircraft Corporation for the licence-production of Sikorsky helicopters. The original announcement, in January 1947, spoke only of the
S-51, and the Anglicised version, powered by an Alvis Leonides, quickly materialized as the Westland Dragonfly.

By 1960 the Yeovil firm had ceased the manufacture of aeroplanes entirely, and all their airframes owe something to that original agreement with United Aircraft. The Widgeon, Whirlwind, Wessex and Westminster have made Westland by far the largest and most important rotary-wing manufacturer outside the USA and Soviet Union, and recently they have consolidated this position by the simple expedient of buying competitors. Namely the helicopter division of Bristol Aircraft, the aviation interests of Saunders-Roe and Fairey Aviation Ltd.

As of this time (1960) Westland have no particular wish to re-enter the fixed-wing business, and when the Gannet AEW.3 line finally ends the company will not replace it with a direct successor. Westland did not, take over Fairey's guided-weapon business nor their agency for the Jindivik target, which both remain with Fairey Engineering. This subsidiary of the Fairey Company was awarded a subcontract to manufacture the complete tail of the D.H.12l, at Stockport (even though the original parent firm has been bought by Westland).
  

 

The State Of Play 1960

BRISTOL DIVISION
Weston-super-Mare, Som'st
Tel: Weston-super-Mare 5200

FAIREY AVIATION LTD
Yeovil , Som'st
Tel: Yeovil 1100

NORMALAIR LTD
Yeovil , Som'st
Tel: Yeovil 1100


E. Gllberthorpe, WM.
Weston
Bristol 192 Belvedere,
Bristol194 project.


H. W. D. Winkworth, GM.
Hayes, White Waltham
Rotodyne VTOL airliner,
Gannet AEW Mk. 3 aircraft,
ferrous precision castings.


D.C. Collins.
Yeovil
Pressurisation systems for aircraft, air conditioning and oxygen: breathing apparatus for fire fighting . underwater use and indust rial purposes, and for hospital oxygen therapy ; road-vehicle conditioning.

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Westland Aircraft Ltd
Yeovil, Somerset. (Tel: Yeovil 1100)

Eric Mensforth. Ch; -Rt. Hon. Lord Aberconway. JDC; E.C. Wheeldon. JDC and MD : D.C. Collins, DMD; D. L. Hollis Williams, AMD; W. Oppenheimer , AMD ; Gen. Sir Kenneth Crawford ; Sir Norman Hulbert : Hon. H. N. Morgan·Grenville : C. H. Chichester Smith; Sir W. Reginald Verdon Smith.

Employees: 11 ,000   Value: £11.5m (est.)

Aircraft: Wessex AS.1, Wessex 2, Westminster, Whirlwind,
Whirlwind (Gnome), Widgeon.

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SAUNDERS·ROE LTD.
Osborne. E. Cowes. Isle of Wight
Tel: Cowes 2211

WESTLAND ENGINEERS LTD.
Yeovil
 

M.H.C. Gordon, GM.
Cowes, Eastleigh .
Sprite (Nimbus), Wasp (Gnome ), Skeeter, a range of ground-effect machines in association with the NRDC and Hovercraft Developments
Ltd., full tank testing of water-borne vehicles . aircraft ditching tests, foil strain gauges,
general electronic and support work for Black Knight and computer components.

Non-aero products, such as overhead doors.
       
 

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