World War I: the Beginning Westland 1915-2015
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WORLD WAR I: THE BEGINNING WESTLAND 1915-2015 From Petters Ltd to Our People THE PETTER BROTHERS OFFERED TO Sopwith 1½ Strutter EVOLUTION OF THE WESTLAND SITE Westland Aircraft Works • Women played an important part in Westland’s origins DEVOTE THEIR ENTIRE CAPABILITY • Established in Yeovil in 1865, as they did in many other industrial trades at this time. TO THE WAR EFFORT, AND WERE JB Petter & Sons expanded their • The First World War was a catalyst for women’s roles PROMPTLY AWARDED A CONTRACT thriving ironmongery and en- in the workplace, which signified part of the vast FROM THE ADMIRALTY TO PRODUCE gineering business on various cultural shift that would take place during the early SHORT TYPE 184 SEAPLANES. sites in Yeovil, producing 1500 20th century. agricultural oil engines per year • Women workers manufactured munitions at the Westland built 125 of these well-established fighter sold worldwide. Reckleford site and constructed aircraft at the Westland’s first aircraft, Short 184 bomber aircraft under licence for the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps. • In 1910 Petters Ltd was found- Westland Aircraft Works. Seaplane ed and a new foundry was es- • Local skills, developed from Yeovil’s gloving and tablished on a site west of Yeo- engineering industries, were used to build the wooden Airco DH4 vil. frames and stitch the fabric coverings of Westland’s • James Petter’s twin sons Perciv- early aircraft. al and Ernest had a flair for en- The First Assembly Hall Under Construction gineering and with Ben Jacobs, another talented engineer, de- signed an early car called the ‘Horseless Carriage’ and also designed experimental forms of Westland was contracted in 1917 to build 175 of • Designed by Short Brothers Ltd as a torpedo- this two-seat Airco day bomber. transportation including a flying carrying seaplane, the Short 184 was the first bicycle. aircraft to be built at Westland Aircraft Works. • In 1915 the Petter brothers Westland N.1B • The aircraft’s structure was typical of the made the decision to offer their period; a wire-braced, wooden box frame with company’s manufacturing re- the fuselage and wings covered in fabric. sources to the Government to help the war effort and the • Production of the Short 184 began in July 1915. Admiralty contracted them to Westland employees visited Short Brothers build Short 184 seaplanes un- Ltd in order to produce their own construction drawings. der licence. This was the first Westland-designed aircraft, later • A workers’ village called ‘Westland’ (a name chosen by Mrs Percival Petter) • Thus ‘Westland Aircraft Works’ abandoned with the adoption of wheeled aircraft was designed but never completed due to the outbreak of the First World was officially formed as a branch for shipborne operation. War, upon which the site became the Westland Aircraft Works. of Petters Ltd, beginning one • Sir Ernest Petter later described the opening of the site in 1915 in a Petters hundred years of aviation his- Airco DH9A Newsletter: ‘...three men walked down to the corner of a field outside Yeovil tory. where there was a small farm hut. One of the three - the author of this little story - opened the door of the hut and solemnly said, “This is the Westland Aircraft Works.’’’ Undoubtedly he had remembered the name Percival’s wife had chosen for the proposed workers’ village. • The site expanded as different types of aircraft were built. A new hangar • The first aircraft was completed in December was built to accommodate the construction of Vickers Vimy bombers – at 1915 and delivered on the 1st January 1916. the time, the building had the largest unsupported span in Britain. 400 of these single-engine light bombers were built • The airfield was prepared in 1918 after ancient farmland had been levelled. • It was dismantled and taken by horse and cart between 1917 and 1918 by Westland, improving to Yeovil Junction from where it went by rail to on the design of earlier versions. the River Hamble for testing. Oil Engines & Other Products Vickers Vimy • Whilst Petters Ltd had cultivated the essential skills needed to launch Westland Aircraft Works, their agricultural oil engine business continued to thrive. • Petter engines were used to power agricultural machinery all over the world. • The company also built products such as fireplaces, animal feed crushers and mechanical calculators. This heavy bomber was in service with the RAF at • Queen Victoria had the Nautilus Grate installed in fireplaces at the end of the First World War and after. A total Osborne House and Balmoral Castle. of 25 of these famous, large twin-engined aircraft • After various reorganisations and mergers, Petters Ltd still were built at Yeovil. makes engines today under the ListerPetter name. 1910 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 Work begins on First World War is Westland Aircraft First Westland-built aircraft 14,000 Petter oil Over 1000 aircraft built in future ‘Westland’ declared. Works founded. delivered. engines sold. three years to support the war site. effort. Short 184 Short 166 Sopwith 1V Strutter Airco DH-4 Airco DH-9 Airco DH-9A Westland N.1B Vickers Vimy THE INTERWAR AND EXPERIMENTAL AGE WESTLAND 1915-2015 Westland Turns to Civil Enterprises… First Over Everest EVOLUTION OF THE WESTLAND SITE • The demand for military aircraft sharply decreased after the war, so Westland began to design civil aircraft. • Flying was still a dangerous activity, as the war had hastened aircraft development by necessity. Designers and engineers could now focus on improving the safety and airworthiness of their aircraft. • Civil luxury was sought after in the aircraft of the interwar period, advancing the designs of enclosed cockpits, passenger cabins and pushing aircraft to look sleeker, fly higher and go faster. Our People The Pilots Captain Arthur Stuart Keep, MC 1891 – 1952 • Arthur Keep joined Westland in 1919 • In 1933 a Westland aircraft became the first • The Times called this ‘a magnificent piece as an Air Ministry to fly over Mount Everest. of insubordination’ but Clydesdale and Test Pilot after McIntyre were reprimanded by the Royal Air service in the • The Houston Mount Everest Expedition aimed to prove that a British aircraft with a British crew Force for their breach of conduct. They were Petters Ltd and Westland Aircraft Works British Army and then awarded the Air Force Cross. Royal Flying Corps. could fly over the highest point on earth and use the opportunity to contribute to scientific • In 1920 Keep knowledge by photographing inaccessible piloted the six- Arthur Davenport, Harald Penrose and Robert Bruce photographed prior to the 1933 Mount Everest Expedition and dangerous terrain. seat Limousine in an Air Ministry • Two aircraft, PV.3 Houston-Westland and PV.6 competition for civil The Designer Houston-Wallace, were essentially extensively aircraft. During the modified Wapitis, altered to cope with the Arthur Davenport, FRAeS 1891 – 1976 severe conditions. flight he entered the • Davenport was recruited from Petters Ltd as cabin to smoke and talk with the passengers, • The Expedition consisted of Auxiliary Air Chief Draughtsman. The aircraft was named Houston-Westland to honour Lady Lucy alarming them, but the stability of the aircraft Force pilots Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, Houston who financed the expedition • He was sent to Sheerness to learn how to enabled the flight to continue and first prize Lord Clydesdale and Flight Lieutenant David make the Short 184 by producing his own was won. McIntyre, with observers Colonel L V S Blacker UNKNOWN TO THE EXPEDITION drawings and was appointed Chief Designer and S R Bonnett (cinematographer with the • Tragically, Keep lost both legs in the 1924 in 1919. LEADER, PILOTS CLYDESDALE AND crash of the cantilever-winged Dreadnought, Gaumont British News). • Davenport led the collaboration with Cierva MCINTYRE FLEW A SECOND MISSION though his life was saved by company nurse • The first flight successfully achieved the during the 1930s, producing the C.29 and TO RETAKE PHOTOGRAPHS LOST DUE Sister Thomas. The incident led to Westland summit and a second flight, against orders, • From 1935 Westland Aircraft Ltd took over workshops previously occupied CL-20 autogiros, which contributed to the installing a more powerful wind tunnel to achieved the Expedition’s scientific goals. TO A FAULTY CAMERA by Petters Ltd. transition to rotary wing aircraft. improve aerodynamic accuracy. • A new boiler house and wing shop were constructed, the Wing Doping Shop was modernised and the Rib Department expanded. • Keep later became Works Manager and The Manager ensured Westland came through the lean Westland Widgeon Westland Pterodactyl Westland Wapiti • The main assembly hall was built in 1938 to accommodate the construction interwar years. Robert Bruce, OBE 1869 - 1948 of Lysanders and Whirlwind fighters. It is still in use today as Building 115, • As a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy Volunteer known as the In-Service Support & Flight Facility. Reserve (RNVR) with experience of aircraft Harald Penrose, OBE 1904 – 1996 manufacture, Bruce was serving as an • Joined Westland as a Management Trainee, Admiralty inspector at Sopwith Aviation learning to fly with the RAF Volunteer Reserves. Company when Percy Petter personally Pianolas & Other Products • Penrose was appointed Chief Test Pilot in 1931 requested his release to take up the role of • Westland also manufactured products such as and held the position until 1953 through the Manager at Westland Aircraft Works. milk churns, pianolas and lightbulbs, diversifying transition from biplane to jet. • Bruce designed and oversaw many original This was the first parasol-wing The Pterodactyl was a uniquely 558 of these biplanes were built their product range during the uncertain aircraft during his time at Westland. monoplane built by Westland, and tailless monoplane with a predominantly for the RAF. The • He received an OBE in 1946 for his wartime interwar years and using their engineering skill proved popular amongst affluent distinctive wing shape.