Austin
Austin Motor Company (1914) Ltd.
Contents
History
In 1905 Herbert Austin (8 November 1866 – 23 May 1941) left the Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Co and founded the Austin Motor Company, and in 1914 became a public company under the name of the Austin Motor Company (1914) Ltd. Centered at Longbridge, Birmingham, Warwickshire, Austin became a War Office contractor for aeroplanes during the First World War. An aviation department was set up in 1914, and in 1915 John Dudley North (later of Boulton Paul) joined as works superintendent, following his departure from Grahame-White Aviation. The first government contract given was for the RAF RE.7, with production commencing September 1915. Fifty two were delivered, followed by an order for 300 RAF RE.8. In 1918 a order was placed for 350 RAF SE.5s, the order being revised several times, ending with a total of 1550. Further contracts included 125 Bristol F.2B, Austin eventually building over 2,000 subcontract aircraft.
In 1917, Herbert Austin decided to set up an aircraft design department, to develop its own range of aircraft. The first was designed by C.H. Brooks, with input from fighter ace Albert Ball, whose father was on the Board of Directors of Austin and used his influence to have his son's specifications considered by the company. J.D. North left the company that same year, and was succeeded by John Kenworthy. The next aircraft produced by Austin was the Osprey of 1918, a triplane single-seater designed by Kenworthy and Brooks, followed by the Greyhound two-seat fighter, also designed by Kenworthy and assisted by Harold Roxbee Cox, but not flown until after the Armistice.
Post war, the company built two civil types; the Kestrel side-by-side two-seater (awarded 2nd prize in an Air Ministry competition) and the Whippet single-seater. Aircraft activities ceased 1920, but in 1936 the "shadow factory" scheme began and Austin once again had aircraft connections, producing more than 2400 aircraft of other companies designs during World War II.
Company References
- British Built Aircraft Volume 4, Ron Smith(Tempus Publishing Ltd., 2004)
- Aviation In Birmingham, Geoffrey Negus and Tommy Staddon (Midland Counties Publishing, 1984)
- http://www.austinmemories.com/styled-20/index.html
Project Data
| Project No | Type No | Name | Alternative Name(s) | Year | Spec (Requirement) | Status | Qty | Description | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.F.B.1 | Austin-Ball | 1918 | Proto | 1 | 1S, 1E biplane fighter. | 1,2,5,6,8,10,12,300,302,303 | |||
| A.F.B.2 | 1918 | Proj | 0 | 1S, 1E biplane fighter. | (300) - See Note 1 | ||||
| A.F.T.3 | Osprey | 1918 | A1.(a) | Proto | 1 | 1S, 1E triplane fighter. | 1,2,5,6,9,11,304 | ||
| Greyhound | 1918 | RAF Types IIIA, IIIB and IX | Proto | 3 | 2S, 1E biplane fighter. | 1,2,5,6,13 | |||
| Greyhound Mailplane | 1919 | Proj | 0 | 1S, 1E biplane mailplane. | 13 | ||||
| Whippet | 1919 | Prdn | 5 | 1S, 1E biiplane light aircraft. | 3,4,7,8,301,305 | ||||
| Kestrel | 1920 | Proto | 1 | 2S, 1E biplane light aircraft. | 3,4,306 |
Project Notes
- Bruce [300] speculates that the second, unbuilt, Austin-Ball fighter may have been designated A.F.B.2.
Project References
To show project references in a floating window| Books & Booklets | |
| 1. | British Aeroplanes 1914-18, J.M. Bruce (Putnam, 1957) |
| 2. | British Fighter Since 1912, Francis K. Mason (Putnam 1992) |
| 3. | British Civil Aircraft Since 1919 Vol 1, A.J. Jackson (Putnam, 1973) |
| 4. | British Light Aeroplanes 1920-1940, Arthur W.J.G. Ord-Hume (GMS Enterprises, 2000) |
| 5. | Warplanes of the First World War: Fighters Vol.1, J.M. Bruce (McDonald, 1965) |
| 6. | The British Fighter since 1912, Peter Lewis (Putnam, 1965) |
| 7. | Ultralights - The Early British Classics, Richard Riding (Patrick Stephens, 1987) |
| 8. | Aviation in Birmingham, Geoffrey Negus and Tommy Staddon (Midland Counties Publications, 1984) |
| 9. | British Research and Development Aircraft, Ray Sturtivant (Haynes, 1990) |
| 10. | Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War, W. M. Lamberton (Harleyford, 1960) |
| 11. | British Aircraft of WWI Volume 1 - Experimental Fighters Part 1, Colin A Owers (Aeronaut Books, 2017) |
| 12. | British Aircraft of WWI Volume 2 - Experimental Fighters Part 2, Colin A Owers (Aeronaut Books, 2019) |
| 13. | British Aircraft of WWI Volume 7 - Experimental Fighters Part 3, Colin A Owers (Aeronaut Books, 2023) |
| Magazines and Periodicals | |
| 300. | Aeroplane Monthly Nov-Dec 1978 |
| 301. | Aeroplane Monthly Jul 1989 |
| 302. | Air Pictorial Sep 1957 |
| 303. | Air Pictorial Nov 1957 (letters) |
| 304. | Aviation News Vol 18/15 |
| 305. | Flight 14 Aug 1919 |
| 306. | Flight 5 Aug 1920 |
Production Summary
Select the button to go to the appropriate listings page.
Note: In the Production Summary, conversions are only listed where they result in a change from one Type to another. Changes to sub-type or Mark Number are not shown in the summary.
For details of these, see the individual listings.
| Type No | Name | Qty (New) |
Qty (Conv) |
Canc'd | |
| A.F.B.1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| A.F.T.3 | Osprey | 1 | 2 | ||
| Greyhound | 3 | ||||
| Whippet | 5 | ||||
| Kestrel | 1 |
| Total Austin Production | 11 |
| Total Austin Cancelled Orders | 3 |
Page Revision History
Revised at Version 2.0.0- Company History Expanded.
- Added Greyhound Mailplane.