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By: - 18th June 2011 at 22:06 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Great post thank you.
One of those cases where the background can be more interesting than the subject.
Roger Smith.
Read the forum code of contact
By: - 18th June 2011 at 22:06 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Great post thank you.
One of those cases where the background can be more interesting than the subject.
Roger Smith.
Posts: 55
By: Delta Golf - 18th June 2011 at 15:24
I’ve had the pleasure of corresponding with a Dutch researcher who’s in the process of writing a book on Fredrik Koolhoven, the chief aircraft designer at Armstrong Whitworth while it was located in Newcastle. These photos maybe of interest to show how the Dukes Moor factory looked like. Some of the photo's are already well known & included in various publications, but the FK(5) & FK.6 were new to me (you can see the official A-W stamp on the FK.6 photo if you look closely) ….
This is the first Koolhoven design, commonly known as the F.K.1. The original 'Grandstand' factory can be seen in the background to the left. The house may possibly be Brookfield?
Another shot of the F.K.1 with Oaklands in the background - those houses are still there today
A F.K.3 outside the extended factory. Oaklands now much closer. The extension was demanded by the War Office in 1914 who had placed a large order for 250 BE.2c biplanes. On 23rd Oct 1914 1Sqn 'C' Flight of RNAS with four Bristol TB.8's moved to Dukes moor with the personnel billeted in the adjacent Kenton Lodge. The flights task was to fly coastal patrols, scouting for any incursion by enemy vessels, though there is little record of its activities. The flight moved to Whitley Bay in Jan 1915.
The only photo I've seen that shows the whole factory. The original 'Grandstand' factory can be seen on the left, with the 1914 extension between this and the three bay sheds (not two as previously thought). The extension was used for the erecting of the aircraft, the three-bay hangars possibly for painting? The aircraft in the photo was an experimental triplane (F.K.5?) that had ground looped during flight testing.
A developement of the original triplane, the A.W. F.K.6 with the three-bay sheds visible in the background.
The final photo shows a late production A.W. F.K.8 on the Newcastle Town Moor taken in December 1917. The hangar in the background was a 1917 GS Pattern hangar with Grandstand road running behind this.
When A-W left for Coventry in 1919 the Dukes Moor premises were taken over by Lawsons for confectionary. On April 12th 1921 it was attacked by Sein Fein and burnt down.
The Aerodrome on the Town Moor side of Grandstand road was sold at auction in March 1920, the GS Pattern hangar fetching £2,100.
Obviously if anyone has any additional photo's or further information regarding Armstring Whitworth I'd be very happy to hear from them.
Cheers
Dave, NEAM