The Aircraft Disposal Company (ADC) or Airdisco, was a British firm established in March 1920 to take advantage of the large number of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
-surplus military aircraft on the market.
[Gunston 2005, p.7.] The company changed name in 1925 to ADC Aircraft Limited.
History
In 1920 the British government, through the
Disposal and Liquidation Commission The Disposal and Liquidation Commission was a body set up in 1921 by the British government to sell off surplus war supplies and equipment, particularly those appertaining to the Ministry of Munitions following the First World War
World War ...
of the
Ministry of Munitions
The Minister of Munitions was a British government position created during the First World War to oversee and co-ordinate the production and distribution of munitions for the war effort. The position was created in response to the Shell Crisis o ...
, sold the entire stock of surplus aircraft, aero-engines and related equipment held in the United Kingdom to the Imperial and Foreign Corporation Limited.
The sale included more than 10,000 aircraft and 35,000 aero-engines, for the sum of £1,000,000 plus a 50% share of any profits.
[Barnes 1976, pp. 26–27.] The Imperial and Foreign Corporation formed the Aircraft Disposal Company to sell the equipment and to take over the management of the storage organisation and the large aircraft depots throughout the country.
The
Handley Page Company were appointed sole managing and selling agents for ADC although problems with the financial arrangement soon put Handley Page at risk and the agreement was made in March 1921 between Handley Page Limited,
Frederick Handley Page
Sir Frederick Handley Page, CBE, FRAeS (15 November 1885 – 21 April 1962) was an English industrialist who was a pioneer in the aircraft industry and became known as the father of the heavy bomber.
His company Handley Page Limited was ...
and ADC to stop ADC liquidating the Handley Page Company.
The former military aircraft were converted to various civil roles before being sold on while others were sold to military buyers. By 1925, it had sold 2,000 airframes and 3,000 engines, generating profits of over £2,500,000, of which half was returned to the British
Treasury
A treasury is either
*A government department related to finance and taxation, a finance ministry.
*A place or location where treasure, such as currency or precious items are kept. These can be state or royal property, church treasure or i ...
.
[Barnes 1976, p.27.]
The company had several sites across Britain including of
Regent's Park
Regent's Park (officially The Regent's Park) is one of the Royal Parks of London. It occupies of high ground in north-west Inner London, administratively split between the City of Westminster and the Borough of Camden (and historically betwee ...
in London known as Marylebone Green. Three of the
National Aircraft Factories became part of the Aircraft Disposal Company including Aintree in Liverpool, Waddon in Croydon, and at Stockport near Manchester.
The company became known as "Airdisco" from its
telegraphic address
A telegraphic address or cable address was a unique identifier code for a recipient of telegraph messages. Operators of telegraph services regulated the use of telegraphic addresses to prevent duplication. Rather like a uniform resource locator ( ...
, "Airdisco, London".
The company had offices at Regent House, 89 Kingsway London WC2. The company name was changed to ADC Aircraft Limited in 1925 and was finally wound up in 1930.
Aircraft
*
Airdisco Phi-Phi
Aircraft engines
The company produced a small range of aircraft engines under the direction of
Frank Halford, the 'Cirrus' line continued to be manufactured by
Cirrus Aero Engines Ltd and their successors.
[Lumsden 2003, p.54.]
*
ADC Airdisco
The ADC Airdisco is a British V-8 aero engine that first ran in 1925.
Design and development
The 'Airdisco' was developed from the French Renault 70 hp aero engine by Frank Halford of the Aircraft Disposal Company, the main difference being t ...
*
ADC Cirrus
The ADC Cirrus is a series of British aero engines manufactured using
surplus Renault parts by the Aircraft Disposal Company (ADC) in the 1920s.
The engines were air-cooled, four-cylinder inline types. They were widely used for private and li ...
*
ADC Nimbus
The ADC Nimbus was a British inline aero engine that first ran in 1926. The Nimbus was developed from the Siddeley Puma aero engine by Frank Halford of the Aircraft Disposal Company, the goal was to develop the Puma to produce its intended ...
*
ADC Airsix
The ADC Nimbus was a British inline aero engine that first ran in 1926. The Nimbus was developed from the Siddeley Puma aero engine by Frank Halford of the Aircraft Disposal Company, the goal was to develop the Puma to produce its intended pow ...
See also
References
Citations
Bibliography
*Barnes, C.H. ''Handley Page Aircraft since 1907''. London: Putnam, 1976. .
*
Gunston, Bill. ''World Encyclopedia of Aircraft Manufacturers''. Stroud, UK:Sutton Publishing, 2nd Edition, 2005. .
* Lumsden, Alec. ''British Piston Engines and their Aircraft''. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. .
{{Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom
Business services companies established in 1920
Defunct aircraft engine manufacturers of the United Kingdom
1920 establishments in England
British companies disestablished in 1930
1930 disestablishments in England
British companies established in 1920