The Desoutter Aircraft Company was a British aircraft manufacturer based in
Croydon
Croydon is a large town in South London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a Districts of England, local government district of Greater London; it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater Lond ...
. It was founded by
Marcel Desoutter
André Marcel Desoutter (31 January 1894–13 April 1952) was an English aviator, who lost a leg in an early flying accident, but went on to a successful career in the aviation industry.
Early life
Desoutter was one of six children of Louis A ...
and produced aircraft during the late 1920s and the 1930s.
History
The company was formed in December 1928 to manufacture the designs of the
Dutch
Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
** Dutch people as an ethnic group ()
** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship ()
** Dutch language ()
* In specific terms, i ...
Koolhoven
N.V. Koolhoven was an aircraft manufacturer based in Rotterdam, Netherlands. From its conception in 1926 to its destruction in the Blitzkrieg in May 1940, the company remained the second major Dutch aircraft manufacturer (after Fokker). Although ...
company in particular the
Koolhoven F.K.41
N.V. Koolhoven was an aircraft manufacturer based in Rotterdam, Netherlands. From its conception in 1926 to its destruction in the Blitzkrieg in May 1940, the company remained the second major Dutch aircraft manufacturer (after Fokker). Although ...
, which had drawn a lot of attention due to its modern design. The licence was obtained and Desoutter set up a production unit at the former
ADC factory at
Croydon Aerodrome. The F.K.41 became quite successful and was marketed under the name Dolphin. The name "Dolphin" was later dropped and for a while the aircraft was marketed only under the name "Desoutter". A slightly modified version was later produced and the versions received the suffixes Mk.I and Mk.II.
Desoutter's aircraft became a familiar sight in British flying clubs, where they were used for instruction, pleasure flights and taxi flights.
The business folded in 1932 after its main customer,
National Flying Services at
London Air Park, Hanworth, went into liquidation, having produced 41 aircraft (twenty-eight Mk.Is and thirteen Mk.IIs).
Aircraft
*
Desoutter Mk.I previously also known as "Dolphin" or simply only as "Desoutter"
*
Desoutter Mk.II Sports Coupé
See also
*
List of aircraft manufacturers
This is a list of aircraft manufacturers sorted alphabetically by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)/common name. It contains the ICAO/common name, manufacturers name(s), country and other data, with the known years of operation in pa ...
References
*
External links
Koolhoven Aeroplanes Foundation
{{Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom
1928 establishments in England
1932 disestablishments in England
British companies established in 1928
Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United Kingdom
Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1932
Manufacturing companies established in 1928