COVENTRY ORDNANCE WORKS LTD.

UK

Established at Coventry 1911, absorbing former Warwick Wright company and inheriting two excellent designers, Howard T. Wright and W. O. Manning, who designed a biplane of which two were built at Battersea and test-flown at Brooklands as entries for RFC Military trials of August 1912, one with Gnome engine and other with Chenu engine. Neither did very well, though Gnome-engined aircraft later flew successfully at Brooklands after modification. No further original designs before First World War. During the conflict C.O.W. acted mainly as subcontractor on Royal Aircraft Factory aircraft, including B.E.2 and B.E.8 series, B.E.12/12a, R.E.7 and R.E.8. Also built Sopwith Snipe single-seat fighters. Aircraft department closed 1919.

Basically acknowledged, however, as armaments firm (e.g. warship gun installations), and developed rapid-firing aircraft gun (0.5kg shell) intended for Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.4 fighter/bomber and projected Airco (de Havilland) D.H.8. A 37mm development was later mounted in Vickers and Westland F.9/27 fighter prototypes, but its weight prohibited its acceptance for fighters.


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