Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth

Key people: Capt I.F. Fairbairn-Crawford, manager; Frederick "Frits" Koolhoven (a Dutchman), designer, 1913 into 1917.

Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth firm founded 1897 through merger of two ship-building firms; the comma was later dropped. In 1912, agreed to make ABC aero engines and Leitner hollow-steel propellers. New Aerial Dept. formed June 1913 under manager Fairbairn-Crawford with Koolhoven as designer. Fairbairn-Crawford built prototypes while Koolhoven designed and in September 1914 flew FK.1; 150 were built by firm plus another 350 were built by Hewlett & Blondeau. After FK3 was flown in 1916, 1,652 were built by November 1918. Koolhoven departed 1917 for BAT after which AW firm built 250 Bristol Fighters. Firm also designed and built rigid and non-rigid airships, 1915-1919, at Barlow, Selby. Purchased Siddeley Deasey in 1919 and moved to Coventry, forming Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft and Armstrong Siddeley Motors.

Sources G28-29, 171, 277-278; 2dG31-32, 267-268, 424; SD 169-170. Still need to review SD Armstrong entries

Organization names	Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth; the comma was later dropped, the firm becoming Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth (Armstrong Whitworth, AW)
Entity type	1
Country	Great Britain
City	Gosforth (Tyneside) and ?
Affiliated with
Scope
Started aero	1912
Ended aero	1919
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