The Comper Aircraft Company Ltd was a 1930s

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

light aircraft manufacturer. It was based at Hooton Aerodrome, Cheshire (1929-1933), and

Heston Aerodrome Heston Aerodrome was an airfield located to the west of London, England, operational between 1929 and 1947. It was situated on the border of the Heston and Cranford areas of Hounslow, Middlesex. In September 1938, the British Prime Minister, Ne ...

, Middlesex (1933-1934).

History

In April 1929, after leaving the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

Nicholas Comper Nicholas Comper (29 April 1897 – 17 June 1939) was an English aviator and aircraft designer, whose most notable success was the 1930s Comper Swift monoplane racer. Early life Nicholas Comper was born in Lambeth, London, England, the son of c ...

formed the Comper Aircraft Company Ltd, based at Hooton Park Aerodrome near

Ellesmere Port Ellesmere Port ( ) is a port town in the Cheshire West and Chester borough in Cheshire, England. Ellesmere Port is on the south eastern edge of the Wirral Peninsula, north of Chester, south of Birkenhead, southwest of Runcorn and south of ...

in Cheshire. Company directors included his brother Adrian Comper, his colleague Flt Lt J. Bernard Allen, George H Dawson, the owner of Hooton Park Aerodrome, and others. The company's first product was the

Comper Swift The Comper C.L.A.7 Swift is a British 1930s single-seat sporting aircraft produced by Comper Aircraft Company Ltd of Hooton Park, Cheshire. Design and development In March 1929 Flight Lieutenant Nicholas Comper left the Royal Air Force and form ...

, a single-seat sporting monoplane. After the prototype flew in January 1930, 40 production examples were built at Hooton. In 1932, in a joint venture, the company produced a prototype of the Cierva C.25

autogyro An autogyro (from Greek and , "self-turning"), also known as a ''gyroplane'', is a type of rotorcraft that uses an unpowered rotor in free autorotation to develop lift. Forward thrust is provided independently, by an engine-driven propeller. Whi ...

, using major elements of a Comper Swift.Riding (2003)Nick Comper official website In March 1933, after producing about 41 aircraft, the company moved to

near London. The first aircraft built at Heston was the Mouse, that first flew in September 1933. Other single examples produced at Heston were the Comper Streak and Comper Kite. After an expensive move in a financial depression, and new aircraft designs but few sales, the company ceased trading in August 1934. Most of the directors resigned, including Nick Comper, and a new board was formed, headed by Sir Norman J Watson and Brindley 'Bryn' R.S. Jones. The company was renamed

Heston Aircraft Company Heston Aircraft Company was a British aircraft manufacturer based at Heston Aerodrome, Middlesex, England. Starting in 1934 the company produced a number of aircraft designs beginning with the Heston Phoenix and the Hordern-Richmond Autoplane. ...

Ltd, effective 10 August 1934.

Aircraft

* 1930 -

* 1932 - Cierva C.25 * 1933 - Comper Mouse * 1934 - Comper Streak * 1934 - Comper Kite

Notes

References

*Boughton, Terence. 1963. The Story of The British Light Aeroplane. John Murray * *Meaden, Jack & Fillmore, Malcolm. (Winter 2003). The Comper Lightplanes. Air-Britain Archive (quarterly). Air-Britain. *Riding, Richard T. August&September 1978. British Pre-war Ultra-lights No.28: Comper Swift. Aeroplane Monthly. IPC Media *Riding, Richard T. 1987. Ultralights: The Early British Classics. Patrick Stephens *Riding, Richard T. March 2003. Database: Comper Swift. Aeroplane Monthly. IPC Media

External links

Nick Comper official website
{{Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United Kingdom Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1929 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1934 1929 establishments in England 1934 disestablishments in England British companies disestablished in 1934 British companies established in 1929