Vickers, Sons, and Maxim
Armaments firm Vickers, Sons and Maxim Ltd. established an aircraft office in 1908 and in that year built an airship. Captain, later Major, Herbet F. Wood headed aviation department. Ca. late 1912, Richard Harold Barnwell, known as Harold, joined as test pilot, becoming chief pilot and a designer until his accidental death in August 1917. In 1913, George Henry Challenger, chief engineer, works manager, and a designer at British and Colonial Aeroplane Co., 1910-1913, transferred to Vickers; he resigned from there in 1918. Other pioneers at Vickers were Archibald Reith Low and Howard Flanders.
Patent FR-1912-443849, filed via Vickers Limited, makes priority date reference to Patent GB-1911-8220, filed by Hiram Stevens Maxim. This must naturally be the "Maxim" included within the company name, his individual work dovetailing into this corporate process.
On initiative of Wood, acquired license from REP in 1911 and built eight REP-designed monoplanes 1911-12. Opened flying school in late 1911 at Brooklands/Weybridge. Barnwell designed several fast machines, notably the Vicker Bullet, which he also piloted.
Gunston says Wood had idea to acquire RFP license in 1910. Dir1920 pp34-35 has ads for this firm listed at Aviation Department, Imperial Court, Basil Street, Knightsbridge, London, S.W.3. In November 1928, Vickers acquired all equity of Supermarine Aviation Works Ltd, becoming Vickers Supermarine Aviation Works Ltd.
Earlier: Jarrett, 1987, pp 84-85, says that on Sept 15, 1897, "the Maxim and Nordenfeld company was taken over by Vickers, to become Vickers, Sons & Maxim Limited. Vickers, which had held a minority shareholding in the company, paid £1,353,000 for the artillery and ammunition works at Erith, Crayford, and Dartford. Owing to the lack of government orders and to 'eccentric' management by Maxim and Nordenfeld, the company had not fared well in the 1880s but had been made profitable in 1896 by Sigmund Loewe, whose appointment to the board had been arranged by Lord Rothschild. Loewe's business ability has been described as 'one of the most important assets which Vickers acquired' in the purchase, and Vickers was 'entirely ruthless' in taking only the people it wanted from compan ies that it bought. Maxim was 'effectively' eliminated from any position of influence." And it seems that Maxim "was required to remove his hangar from the company's ranges at Eynsford. Coupled with Maxim's poor finances following his experiments in the late 1880s and early 1890s, this brought his [aero?] work to an end. It also deprived Pilcher [of a] hangar [and of his] flying ground." (There are many footnotes in Jarrett's text to sources.)
Patents associated with organizations named Vickers, Sons, and Maxim, Vickers Ltd., or Vickers Limited
- Patent FR-1906-371669 (English title: Improvements to electrical devices for transmitting and receiving gunfire control signals, Filing date: 1906-11-19, Supplementary to patent: Patent GB-1906-04-12)
- Patent US-1910-1071180 (Inventors: Alfred Arnold Remington, English title: Airship and other vessel, Filing date: 1910-08-22)
- Patent FR-1910-423314 (English title: improvements to air-ships, balloons and analogous vehicles, Filing date: 1910-12-05)
- Patent GB-1911-25468 (Inventors: Archibald Reith Low, English title: Improvements relating to Aeroplanes, Filing date: 1911-11-15)
- Patent DE-1912-262073 (English title: Drop bomb for aircraft with detonating charge held away from the explosive charge until it is dropped, Filing date: 1912-03-24)
- Patent FR-1912-443849 (English title: refinements to bombs designed to serve with aeroplanes and other flying machines, Filing date: 1912-03-30, Supplementary to patent: Patent GB-1911-8220)
- Patent GB-1913-13728 (Inventors: George Henry Challenger, English title: Improvements in or relating to Aeroplanes, Filing date: 1913-06-13)
- Patent GB-1913-21232 (Inventors: George Henry Challenger, English title: Improvements in or relating to Detachable Fastening Devices for Flexible Stays and the like, Filing date: 1913-09-19)
- Patent GB-1915-568 (Inventors: Thomas Smith Duncan, English title: Improvements in or relating to the landing devices of aeroplanes and hydro-aeroplanes, Filing date: 1915-01-13)
- Patent GB-1915-9389 (Inventors: George Henry Challenger, English title: Improvements in or relating to Mountings for Small Calibre Guns, Filing date: 1915-06-26)
- Patent GB-1915-17385 (Inventors: George Henry Challenger, English title: Improvements in or relating to Bullet Deflectors for the Propellers of Aeroplanes and similar Aircraft Provided with Guns, Filing date: 1915-12-11)
- Patent GB-1916-124486 (Inventors: George Henry Challenger • Harold Arthur Savage, English title: Improvements in or relating to Aircraft, Filing date: 1916-01-27)
- Patent GB-1916-124501 (Inventors: George Henry Challenger, English title: Improvements in or relating to Mountings for Guns Carried by Aeroplanes and similar Aircraft, Filing date: 1916-02-14)
- Patent GB-1916-124509 (Inventors: George Henry Challenger • Harold Arthur Savage, English title: Improvements in or relating to Aircraft, Filing date: 1916-02-19)
- Patent US-1916-1234311 (Inventors: Thomas Smith Duncan, English title: Landing device for aeroplanes and hydroaeroplanes, Filing date: 1916-02-24)
- Patent GB-1916-124835 (Inventors: Harold Arthur Savage • George Henry Challenger, English title: Improvements in or relating to Aircraft, Filing date: 1916-05-02)
- Patent GB-1916-125472 (Inventors: George Henry Challenger • Harold Arthur Savage, English title: Improvements in or relating to Means for Firing Guns Carried by Aircraft, Filing date: 1916-08-19)
- Patent GB-1917-126386 (Inventors: Harold Arthur Savage, English title: Improvements in or relating to Guns carried by Aircraft, Filing date: 1917-01-25)
- Patent GB-1917-126708 (Inventors: Harold Arthur Savage • George Henry Challenger, English title: Improvements in or relating to Automatic Guns Carried by Aircraft, Filing date: 1917-02-21)
- Patent FR-1917-498970 (English title: Material for aeronefs, balloons, and similar craft, Filing date: 1917-04-25)
- Patent GB-1917-128980 (Inventors: Harold Arthur Savage • George Henry Challenger, English title: Improvements in or relating to Aircraft Gun Mountings, Filing date: 1917-09-08)
- Patent GB-1917-130030 (Inventors: Harold Arthur Savage, English title: Improvements in or relating to Means for Actuating the Controls of Aircraft Engines, Filing date: 1917-12-27)
- Patent DE-1920-392867 (English title: Chassis with folding wheels for seaplanes, Filing date: 1920-07-21, Supplementary to patent: Patent GB-1919-07-29 Vickers Limited • Patent GB-1920-04-06 Vickers Limited)
People affiliated with Vickers, Sons, and Maxim or Vickers Ltd. or Vickers Limited
- George Henry Challenger (Occupations: Engineer • Chief engineer • Works manager, Tech areas: Landing • Airplane • Landing gear • Takeoff • Aerodynamics • Design • Propellers)
- Harold Arthur Savage (Occupations: Engineer, Tech areas: Airplane • Military)
- Hiram Stevens Maxim (Occupations: Engineer • Civil engineer • Mechanical engineer • Electrical engineer, Tech areas: Heavier-than-air • Propulsion • Engine • Motor • Petroleum • Acetylene • Frame)
Publications by or about Vickers, Sons, and Maxim or Vickers Ltd. or Vickers Limited
- Advisory Committee, 1910, Technical Report of the Advisory Committee for the year 1910-1911 (Simple title: Technical Report of the Advisory Committee for the year 1910-1911)
- Béjeuhr, 1914, How the scientists are studying the aeroplane. Institutes of aerial engineering and their work (Simple title: How the scientists are studying the aeroplane. Institutes of aerial engineering and their work, Journal: Scient. Amer.)
- Hastings, Max, 2020, Operation Chastise : The RAF’s Most Brilliant Attack of World War II (Simple title: Operation Chastise)
Sources
- Gunston, 1993, p316, p109
- Gunston, 2005, p483, p150
- SD293
- 1917FM897-898
- 1938FM124
- 11948FM76
- 954FM338
Wikipedia:
Names | Vickers, Vickers Limited, Vickers Ltd., Vickers, Sons, and Maxim |
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Country | Great Britain |
Locations | many |
Affiliations | |
Keywords | |
Started aero | 1908 |
Ended aero | |
Key people | Herbet F. Wood, Harold Barnwell, George Henry Challenger, Archibald Reith Low, Howard Flanders, Hiram Stevens Maxim |
Wikidata id |