Scottish Aviation Logo
Scottish Aviation was initially formed in 1933 by the aviation pioneer, David McIntyre as a Flying School. He was partnered by the then, Duke of Hamilton (Douglas Douglas-Hamilton).
In 1935, they founded the Scottish College of Aviation Limited although just 1 year later, they changed the name to Scottish Aviation Limited.
McIntyre was already the owner of Prestwick Airfield and they soon acquired, dismantled, transported and re-erected a building previously used as The Palace of Engineering at the 1938 Empire Exhibition in Glasgow.
Sited alongside what is now Prestwick Airport, just 30 miles from Glasgow, the new building was predominantly used as a home for the flying school.
However, with the amount of US Air Force personnel and aircraft arriving for the war effort, Scottish Aviation started to undertake aircraft fitting, maintenance and conversion of many aircraft types. Initially, it received and converted American Consolidated Liberators for the RAF Ferry, Transport and Coastal Commands in preparation for operations over the North Atlantic.
Douglas Skyraiders in Hangar at Prestwick
Additionally, Scottish Aviation carried out repair and overhaul on Sunderland flying boats, as well as overseeing the work of Civilian Repair Organisation on Vickers Supermarine Spitfires and Hawker Hurricanes.
Post war, they continued with airliner conversion and modifications and produced their own robust STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) military aircraft such as the Pioneer and latterly the much larger Twin Pioneer.
Scottish Aviation Pioneer Gipsy Queen (VL515)
During the 1960’s the company supported all Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft operating throughout Europe and conducted more than 1,000 Canadair CF-104 Starfighter test flights from Prestwick.
With the Sussex-based Beagle Aircraft Company going into receivership in 1969, Scottish Aviation Limited took over the production of the Bulldog aircraft and after forming Scottish Aviation (Bulldog) Limited, completed the order for the Swedish Air Force. Another collapse one year later, Scottish Aviation Limited took over the production of the Jetstream Turbo-prop aircraft from Handley Page Limited in 1970.
It continued to develop the Jetstream range under the heading Jetstream Aircraft Limited until Scottish Aviation was merged into British Aerospace in 1977.
Genealogy
| Scottish Aviation Elementary Flying Training School | |
| 1935 | Scottish Aviation Limited |
| 1977 | British Aerospace |
| 1999 | BAE Systems |
Aircraft
| 1947 | Pioneer | 1969 | Jetstream |
| 1955 | Twin Pioneer | 1969 | Bulldog |
