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Abbott

E. D. Abbott Ltd


History

A British coachbuilding company based in Farnham, Surrey, E. D. Abbott Ltd. (Edward Dixon Abbott, b. 1888, Eastbourne, Sussex) built a glider in 1930 called the Farnham Sailplane, designed by Thomas Cecil Letcher (b. 1888, Truro, Cornwall, - d. 1950, Isle of Wight), one time chief designer of J. Samuel White and Co, for customers L.H. Ellis and Mr. Russell-Taylor. Another project undertaken by E.D. Abbott was the construction of the Whitlet Hoverplane, a non flying training machine built for the W.L. Hoverplane Syndicate, also of Farnham, in early 1931. The Whitlet Hoverplane was also a design by Letcher, in conjunction with his co-patentee John Ronald Sturge Whiting (b. 1887, Leeds, Yorkshire - d. 4 August 1962, Reading, Oxfordshire). Later that same year the company established a subsidiary, Abbott-Baynes Sailplanes Ltd, to build more sailplanes, this time to the design of L.E. Baynes.

Following the ending of the association with Baynes, the Abbott aviation interests remained dormant until WWII, when they were involved with making parts for various aircraft. After the war, the company returned to its core coachbuilding business. The company finally closed in 1972.

Company References
  1. British Gliders and Sailplanes 1922-1970, Norman Ellison (Adam and Charles Black, 1970)
  2. British Light Aeroplanes, Arthur W.J.G. Ord-Hume (GMS Enterprises, 2000)
  3. Flight 06 Mar 1931
  4. Flight 18 Mar 1931




Project Data top

Project No
Type No
Name
Alternative Name(s)
Year
Spec (Requirement)
Status
Qty
Description
References
     Farnham Sailplane  Alert  1930    Proto  1  1S sailplane  1,2,3

Project References
  1. British Gliders and Sailplanes 1922-1970,Norman Ellison (Adam and Charles Black, 1970)
  2. Flight 08 Aug 1930
  3. Sailplane & Glider 12 Sep 1930



Production Data

One aircraft only, no c/n or registration. First flew August 1930.

   Total Abbott Production     1   

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V1.4.4 Created by Roger Moss. Last updated August 2020