Chilton Aircraft: Difference between revisions
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'''Chilton Aircraft Ltd''' was a United Kingdom aircraft |
'''Chilton Aircraft Ltd''' was a [[United Kingdom|British]] aircraft design and manufacturing company of the late 1930s. |
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==Foundation== |
==Foundation== |
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Revision as of 22:04, 1 April 2009
| Company type | aircraft design and manufacture |
|---|---|
| Founded | early 1937 |
| Defunct | late 1939 |
| Fate | ceased operations in late 1939 |
| Headquarters | Chilton Foliat near Hungerford, Berkshire |
Key people | Hon. Andrew Dalrymple and A.R. Ward |
Chilton Aircraft Ltd was a British aircraft design and manufacturing company of the late 1930s.
Foundation
The company was founded in early 1937 by two ex de Havilland Technical School students, the Hon. Andrew Dalrymple and A.R. Ward. It established a small factory at Chilton Foliat, near Hungerford in Berkshire, from which location the firm's name was derived.[1]
The Chilton D.W.1
The founders designed a very small, low-powered, but fast, sporting monoplane, designated the Chilton D.W.1. The aircraft had a very clean aerodynamic design, which required split flaps to lower the landing speed. The Carden Ford 32 h.p. gave it a declared top speed of 112 mph, but during racing, 129 mph was eventually reached.[2]
Four aircraft were built between early 1937 and July 1939, the last having a 45 h.p. Train 4T engine, being designated the D.W.1A. A further development, the Chilton D.W.2 was commenced, but had not been completed at the outbreak of World War Two. The four aircraft were stored during the war and the jigs, spares and the half-completed D.W.2 were taken over by the College of Aeronautical Engineering at Redhill Aerodrome.[3] Chilton Aircraft did not resume operations after the war.
Postwar developments
All four D.W.1s flew post war, taking part in many air races, but after accidents, only two survived in airworthy condition in 2005.
From the mid 1980s, three examples have been commenced by amateur builders, one of which first flew in 1987. These aircraft are powered by a Lycoming O-145 engine. [4]
References
- Notes
- Bibliography
- A.J., Jackson (1973). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 - Volume 1. Putnam & Company Ltd. ISBN 0-370-10006-9.
- Simpson, Rod (2001). Airlife's World Aircraft. Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84037-115-3.