General Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1931 to amalgamation with

Blackburn Aircraft Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley, east of Preston and north-n ...

in 1949 to become Blackburn and General. Its main products were

military glider Military gliders (an offshoot of common gliders) have been used by the militaries of various countries for carrying troops ( glider infantry) and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft wer ...

s and light transport aircraft.

History

On 27 February 1931, General Aircraft Limited (GAL) was formed to undertake production of aircraft using the 'monospar' wing designs of the Mono-spar Company Ltd. Both firms were headed by Helmut J. Stieger, the Swiss inventor of the technique. GAL produced about 28 examples of the Monospar series of twin-engined light transport aircraft at Croydon Aerodrome between 1932 and 1934. In October 1934, both companies were re-capitalised by investment group British Pacific Trust, and were re-formed in a new company also named General Aircraft Limited. Also included in the new company were the assets of

National Flying Services National Flying Services Ltd was a company aiming to create and manage a large number of airfields and flying clubs around Britain. It relied on government subsidy, and it collapsed when the subsidy was withdrawn in 1934, because the aims had not ...

Ltd, the owner of

London Air Park London Air Park, also known as Hanworth Air Park, was a grass airfield in the grounds of Hanworth Park House, operational 1917–1919 and 1929–1947. It was on the southeastern edge of Feltham, now part of the London Borough of Hounslow. In th ...

, plus adjoining industrial premises built in 1917 by Whitehead Aircraft Ltd. In early 1935, the Crystal Croydon production facilities were transferred to the Hanworth site, near

Feltham Feltham () is a town in West London, England, from Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it became part of the London Borough of Hounslow in 1965. The parliamentary constituency of Feltham and Heston has been held by Labour Party ...

. Production then restarted with the Monospar ST-12, Monospar ST-18, and Monospar ST-25.Jackson (1974)Smith (2002)Sherwood (1999)London Gazette (1934) In 1936, GAL received an order to build 89 Hawker Fury IIs; this was followed by other sub-contract work including the conversion of 125 Hawker Hinds into trainers. In 1938, the company bought the design of the Cygnet light aircraft from the foundering C.W. Aircraft Ltd and it was further developed as the GAL.42 Cygnet II. GAL also operated an RAF flying training school at Fairoaks aerodrome, Surrey. During World War II, GAL became an important designer and manufacturer of gliders. It was part of the

Civilian Repair Organisation The Civilian Repair Organisation (CRO) was a branch of the British Air Ministry (later, of the Ministry of Aircraft Production), formed in 1939 to co-ordinate maintenance and repairs of military aircraft by civilian firms. It should not be conf ...

, to repair

Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Gri ...

s at Hanworth, and

Beaufighter The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter (often called the Beau) is a British multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort ...

s at Fairoaks. It also modified

Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness b ...

s to enable catapult-launching from convoy escort ships. In 1943 Sikorsky helicopters were imported from the US for experimental work. Supplied in crates, they were assembled and flown at Hanworth Aerodrome – one squadron for the RAF, and two squadrons for the Fleet Air Arm. Major overhauls were carried out at Hanworth on the helicopters, plus experimental work in Air Sea Rescue, limited by the weight-lifting capacity of the helicopters. After World War II, GAL diversified into the construction of pre-fabricated houses and car bodies. The company had designed and built a large transport aircraft, the GAL.60 Universal. However, GAL realised it did not have the room or capacity to produce the aircraft in quantity, and approached Blackburn Aircraft Ltd, that was looking for work to keep its factory at Brough Aerodrome busy. On 1 January 1949, this led to the two companies merging to form the Blackburn and General Aircraft Ltd. The first GAL.60 was transported by road from Hanworth to Brough, and the factory at Hanworth was later closed.

Designs produced at Croydon (1932–1934)

General Aircraft Monospar ST-4 The General Aircraft Monospar was a 1930s British family of touring and utility aircraft built by General Aircraft Ltd (GAL). Design and development In 1929, the Monospar Company Ltd was formed to pursue new techniques of designing cantilever ...

* General Aircraft Monospar ST-6 * General Aircraft Monospar ST-10 * General Aircraft Monospar ST-11

Designs produced at Hanworth (1935–1939)

General Aircraft Monospar ST-12 The General Aircraft Monospar was a 1930s British family of touring and utility aircraft built by General Aircraft Ltd (GAL). Design and development In 1929, the Monospar Company Ltd was formed to pursue new techniques of designing cantilever ...

General Aircraft Monospar ST-18 Croydon __NOTOC__ The General Aircraft ST-18 Croydon was a 1930s British cabin monoplane built by General Aircraft Limited. Development Following the mixed success of the earlier Monospar family of aircraft, the company designed a ten-seat light tra ...

General Aircraft Monospar ST-25 Jubilee The General Aircraft Monospar ST-25 was a British 1930s light twin-engined utility aircraft. Design and development The Monospar ST-25 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a fabric-covered metal structure. The monospar name came from the us ...

General Aircraft Monospar ST-25 De Luxe The General Aircraft Monospar ST-25 was a British 1930s light twin-engined utility aircraft. Design and development The Monospar ST-25 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a fabric-covered metal structure. The monospar name came from the us ...

General Aircraft Monospar ST-25 Universal The General Aircraft Monospar ST-25 was a British 1930s light twin-engined utility aircraft. Design and development The Monospar ST-25 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a fabric-covered metal structure. The monospar name came from the us ...

* General Aircraft GAL.26 re-engined experimental version of ST-25 *GAL.32 – design tendered for ''ab initio'' trainer. Not built * General Aircraft GAL.33 Cagnet * General Aircraft GAL.38 Fleet Shadower – a fleet-following aircraft * General Aircraft GAL.41 pressurised experimental aircraft based on the ST-25 * General Aircraft GAL.42 Cygnet II – a CW design. * General Aircraft GAL.45 Owlet * General Aircraft GAL.47 – Air Observation Post, one built * General Aircraft GAL.48 Hotspur – a troop carrying glider * General Aircraft GAL.49 Hamilcar I – a tank carrying glider * General Aircraft GAL.55 – a two-seat training glider * General Aircraft GAL.56 – a flying wing glider * General Aircraft GAL.58 Hamilcar X – a powered version of the Hamilcar I * General Aircraft GAL.60 Universal Freighter – a freight carrying aircraft later becoming the

Blackburn Beverley The Blackburn B-101 Beverley was a heavy transport aircraft produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Blackburn Aircraft. It was notably the only land-based transport airplane built by Blackburn, a company that otherwise specialised in pr ...

References

Sources

* *Brooks, Robin J. 2000. Thames Valley Airfields in the Second World War: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Middlesex * *London Gazette. 5 October 193
page 6304
*Sherwood, Tim. 1999. Coming in to Land: A Short History of Hounslow, Hanworth and Heston Aerodromes 1911–1946
Heritage Publications (Hounslow Library)
* {{Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United Kingdom Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1931 1931 establishments in England