Flying the flag?

Readers letters

DH9 and DH10 bombers of the First World War were products of the Aircraft Manufacturing Company ‘Airco’

I was rather surprised to read in Lee Hibbert’s report on WFEL’s export success with their tactical military bridges (‘Flying the Flag’ PE July 2011) that the Fairey Aviation Company was “famous for building the DH9 and DH10 long-range bombers”. I suspect that either the people at WFEL are confused about their own company’s history or that something has been ‘lost in translation’.

The DH9 and DH10 bombers of the First World War were products of the Aircraft Manufacturing Company (or ‘Airco’) and were designed by Capt. (later Sir) Geoffrey de Havilland – who, in 1920, went on to found the legendary aircraft company that bore his name. Fairey Aviation (based at Hayes, Middlesex) built many famous aircraft of their own design – including the Battle, Swordfish and Firefly. In late 1934, with a need to expand and disperse their production facilities in the expectation of a large order for Battle day bombers, Fairey Aviation acquired the Willys Overland Crossley works at Heaton Chapel, Stockport. Part of this complex had been built during the Great War as National Aircraft Factory No.2 and had been used for the construction of DH9s and DH10s – some twenty years before Fairey appeared on the scene.

As far as I know, the only aircraft of de Havilland design that were ever built by Fairey Aviation at Stockport were 51 Vampire FB9 jet fighter-bombers in 1952-53.