HG Hawker

 

Hawker was both an adventurer and daredevil who loved racing cars at Brooklands (where he originally met Sopwith in 1911) and appearing at various Aerial Derby's around the country. After World War 1, he attempted to fly across the Atlantic 'in under 72 hours' but the engine on his specially built Sopwith Atlantic failed after just 14½ hours.  Luckily, he and navigator Kenneth Grieve were rescued by a passing freighter.

 

 

As Chief Test Pilot, Hawker had been largely responsible for the growth of Sopwith Aviation during World War I and it was a severe set back for the new 10-month old company when he was killed in a flying accident at Hendon on 12th July 1921.

The company’s first indigenous design, the Duiker, proved unsuccessful and never progressed passed the prototype stage. Undeterred, the company produced the Hawker Woodcock which, although rejected as a first prototype, received an order for 10 aircraft from the RAF for a modified and improved Mk II. Eventually, they were to order a further 52 aircraft with Hawker and the RAF entering the demonstrator aircraft the 1925 Kings Cup Air Race. 

 

A number of successful and innovative designs followed and HG Hawker grew in both size and reputation.

 

One of the most outstanding designs of the inter-war years was the Sydney Camm designed Hawker Hart family of aircraft and its derivatives such as the Hawker Audax , Hawker Hind and Hawker Demon of which nearly 3,000 aircraft were produced.

 

In 1933, the company was renamed Hawker Aircraft Limited and just a year later it acquired The Gloster Aircraft Company.

 

Year	Company
1920	HG Hawker Engineering
1933	Hawker Aircraft Limited
1935	Hawker Siddeley Aircraft
1963	Hawker Siddeley Aviation
1977	British Aerospace
1999	BAE Systems

 

On 18th May 1933, HG Hawker Engineering Company underwent a change of name to Hawker Aircraft Limited and they quickly took advantage of the Great Depression to acquire Gloster Aircraft Company during February 1934. 

 

The newly formed Hawker Aircraft Limited was short-lived however and just one year later (1935) it merged with The Armstrong Siddeley Development Company Limited.  The union included aircraft manufacturer Sir W.G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Ltd and the substantial AV Roe & Company.  

 

 

Despite the new company being registered as Hawker Siddeley Aircraft, after the merger the individual companies continued to trade under the trade names of Hawker Aircraft, Sir WG Armstrong Whitworth and Avro.  

 

Under the Hawker Aircraft banner, the company produced a number of now famous aircraft, most notable of which was the Hawker Hurricane which saw such successful service during the Battle of Britain.  

 

Over 14,500 Hurricanes were produced at Hawker works at Brooklands, Kingston and Langley, as well as Gloster Aircraft at Brockworth, and Avro facilities around the UK and Canada.

 

Hawker Aircraft (see also Hawker Siddeley Aviation)

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Year	Name	Year	Name
1923	Duiker	1923	Woodcock
1924	Cygnet	1924	Hedgehog
1925	Horsley	1925	Heron
1925	Hornbill	1925	Danecock
1927	Harrier	1927	Hawfinch
1928	Hart	1928	F.20/27
1928	Hoopoe	1928	Tomtit
1929	Hornet	1929	Osprey
1930	Nimrod	1931	Fury
1931	Audax	1932	Dantorp
1933	Demon	1934	Hawker P.V.3 / P.V.4
1934	Hardy	1934	Hind
1935	Hartbees	1935	Hurricane / Sea Hurricane
1936	Hector	1937	Henley
1938	Hotspur	1939	Tornado
1940	Typhoon	1942	Tempest
1944	Sea Fury	1947	P.1040
1947	Sea Hawk	1951	Hawker Hunter