Names of aircraft types.

[speedbird591]

I was driving past Andover yesterday and started musing about how many classic British aircraft are named after UK towns. I wondered if the towns chosen were because the aircraft maybe had the character of the towns they were named after. Like Andover, York, Blenheim, Lancaster, Halifax and so on.

Would we have such fond thoughts of a Bristol Basingstoke? Handley-Page Halesowen? de Havilland Dudley? Avro Auchtermuchty?

I don't think so ....

Ian

[Garry Russell]

Only a few HP aircraft were named after places, their main theme was names starting with 'H'.........like Gugnunc and Victor :think: :doho: ......welll OK, there were exceptions

Garry

[speedbird591]

Only a few HP aircraft were named after places, ......welll OK, there were exceptions Garry

Like ... Halifax, Hampden, Wellington (or was that the Duke or his boot? ), Halton, Hastings, Heyford ...

[forthbridge]

Good one.

Lets' see - Short Stirling, Sunderland, Avro manchester... :think:

Avro Eccles? Short Landford/Landport??
avro Abergwyngreggan?

Vickers Vobster? Vickers Vole, Valtos, vange, Vementry?????

Short Shafton-two-Gates? Short Shaggs? Short Shepherd's Bush?

Hawker Hackney Wick? Hawker hampstead?

this could go on.....

Sod it! I'll be wasting the afternoon looking for more..... :roll:

[DaveB]

Err.. the Wellington was Vickers (without the H)

I quite like the Hawker Hampstead. I can imagine it now.. roses around the cockpit!

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[Garry Russell]

Only a few HP aircraft were named after places, ......welll OK, there were exceptions Garry

Like ... Halifax, Hampden, Wellington (or was that the Duke or his boot? ), Halton, Hastings, Heyford ...

What I meant was the 'H' was the important theme rather than the towns .....

There was also the HP 'arrow

I always liked the RR jet engine river theme.......Dart, Avon, Spey, Tay, RB.211 etc

Garry

[Tweek]

English Electric Ely. Bristol Bognor Regis?

[speedbird591]

Err.. the Wellington was Vickers (without the H)

I quite like the Hawker Hampstead. I can imagine it now.. roses around the cockpit!

Can't believe you've never heard of a Handley Page Hwellington (silent H) :roll:

An 'awker 'ampstead does have a nice ring to it. If it was fighter and had shark's teeth painted on it, would they be 'ampstead 'eath?

Ian

[DaveB]

:o :o :o :doho:



ATB

DaveB :tab:

[markw]

Bristol clearly missed a trick not naming their aircraft after Bristol suburbs. You could have had the Bristol Fishponds, or the Bristol Montpelier, or if they had ever made a jet powered airliner powered by Rolls Royce Avons, the Bristol Avon-mouth. The Bristol Clifton would have been quite nice, but I expect the Bristol Totterdown might not have made it far from the drawing board. Problem is though I suppose it would have made the catalogue read like a gazeteer of Bristol's bus timetables.

Or they could have used Bristol pub names. No doubt there would still have been a Bristol Britannia, but the Brabazon might have ended up as the Bristol Dog, or Bristol Bag of Nails (yes it's a real Bristol pub...). The Beaufighter could have been the Lion, or if they wanted to strike the right note of patriotism, the Bristol George and Dragon. The Freighter and Superfreighter could have become the Bristol Walkabout, Lifeboat, Iron Bridge or the Old Crow, although the passenger version, the Wayfarer, does share a name with a real life Bristol pub!