Established 1914 as Airplane Department of engineering
company Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co Ltd. In September
1914 built unsuccessful
Armadillo
F.K.1 single-seater. Later
(during the war) F.K.3 and F.K.8 two-seat observation aircraft
delivered in quantity, as improvements on Government-
designed B.E.2c. Experimental First World War types
included quadruplanes and Armadillo and Ara biplane
single-seat fighters. Airplane Department closed late 1919,
but new company, named
Ara
above, formed 1920. Outstanding
products between the wars were Siskin single-seat
fighter and Atlas army cooperaton aircraft for RAF,
both introducing some steel construction. Scimitar fighter
(1934) was among the world's fastest with radial engine,
partly due to company's associations with engine-builder
Armstrong Siddeley.
A.W.35 Scimitar
Notable airliners were the three-engined
Argosy biplane (1926), four-engined Atalanta
monoplane (1932), and the much larger Ensign (1938).
Company's most famous product was Whitley twin-engined
bomber of 1936, in which year Hawker Siddeley
Group was formed, with Armstrong Whitworth as a member
company. In
A.W.27 Ensign
July 1943 the 1,824th Whitley left the assembly
line at Baginton, Coventry, the type having achieved
several historic "firsts" in RAF service. Albemarle (600
built) used as glider-tug and transport, and Avro Lancaster
bombers built in dispersed factories. After the war, from
basic
A.W.38 Withley
Gloster design, company developed and produced
in quantity Meteor two-seat nightfighter. When this type
was well advanced undertook development of Hawker Sea
Hawk naval fighter. Avro Lincolns, Hawker Hunters, and
Gloster Javelins also produced. Experiments made with flying-wing aircraft and prone-pilot position. Apollo turboprop
airliner (1949) had no commercial success, though
Argosy twin-boom four-turboprop freighter (1959) gained
limited civil and military orders.
