{{Short description|British aircraft manufacturer}} {{for|the American aircraft manufacturer|General Aircraft Corporation}} {{Use British English|date=August 2011}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox company |name = General Aircraft Limited |logo = |fate = Merged with [[Blackburn Aircraft]], 1949 |successor = [[Blackburn Aircraft]] |founded = 1931 |defunct = 1949 |hq_location = Hanworth, near [[Feltham]], United Kingdom |industry = Aviation |key_people = Helmut J. Stieger |products = |num_employees = |parent = |subsidiaries = }}
'''General Aircraft Limited''' was a British aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1931 to amalgamation with [[Blackburn Aircraft]] in 1949 to become '''Blackburn and General'''. Its main products were [[military glider]]s and light transport aircraft.
==History== [[File:GAL.42 Cygnet II G-AGAX 03.55.jpg|thumb|right|GAL.42 Cygnet II ''G-AGAX'', March 1955]] On 27 February 1931, General Aircraft Limited (GAL) was formed to undertake production of aircraft using the 'monospar' wing designs of the Monospar Wing Company Ltd. Both firms were headed by Helmut J. Stieger, the Swiss inventor of the technique. GAL produced about 28 examples of the [[Monospar]] series of twin-engined light transport aircraft at [[Croydon Aerodrome]] between 1932 and 1934. In October 1934, both companies were re-capitalised by investment group British Pacific Trust, and were re-formed in a new company also named General Aircraft Limited. Also included in the new company were the assets of [[National Flying Services]] Ltd, the owner of [[London Air Park]] in Hanworth near Feltham, plus adjoining industrial premises built in 1917 by Whitehead Aircraft Ltd. In early 1935, the Croydon production facilities were transferred to the Hanworth site. Production then restarted with the Monospar ST-12, Monospar ST-18, and Monospar ST-25.<ref name=Jackson>Jackson (1974)</ref><ref name=Smith>Smith (2002)</ref><ref name=Sherwood>Sherwood (1999)</ref><ref>London Gazette (1934)</ref>
In 1936, GAL received an order to build 89 [[Hawker Fury|Hawker Fury II]]s; this was followed by other subcontract work including the conversion of 125 [[Hawker Hind]]s into trainers. In 1938, the company bought the design of the '''Cygnet''' light aircraft from the foundering C.W. Aircraft Ltd and it was further developed as the [[General Aircraft Cygnet|GAL.42 Cygnet II]]. GAL also operated an RAF elementary flying training school at [[Fairoaks Airport|Fairoaks Aerodrome]], Surrey.<ref name=Smith/><ref name=Sherwood/>
During World War II, GAL became an important designer and manufacturer of gliders. It was part of the [[Civilian Repair Organisation]], to repair [[Supermarine Spitfire]]s at Hanworth, and [[Beaufighter]]s at Fairoaks. It also modified [[Hawker Hurricane]]s to enable catapult-launching from convoy escort ships. In 1943, Sikorsky helicopters were imported from the US for experimental work. Supplied in crates, they were assembled and flown at Hanworth Aerodrome – one squadron for the RAF, and two squadrons for the Fleet Air Arm. Major overhauls were carried out at Hanworth on the helicopters, plus experimental work in Air Sea Rescue, limited by the weight-lifting capacity of the helicopters.<ref name=Smith/>
After World War II, GAL diversified into the construction of pre-fabricated houses and car bodies. The company had designed and built a large transport aircraft, the [[Blackburn Beverley|GAL.60 Universal]]. However, GAL realised it did not have the room or capacity to produce the aircraft in quantity, and approached [[Blackburn Aircraft|Blackburn Aircraft Ltd]], that was looking for work to keep its factory at [[Brough Aerodrome]] busy. On 1 January 1949, this led to the two companies merging to form the '''Blackburn and General Aircraft Ltd'''. The first GAL.60 was transported by road from Hanworth to Brough and chief test pilot Harold 'Tim' Wood made its first flight there on 20 June 1950, and the factory at Hanworth was later closed.<ref name=Smith/><ref name=Sherwood/>
==Designs produced at Croydon (1932–1934)== *[[General Aircraft Monospar ST-4]] – 29 built. *[[General Aircraft Monospar ST-6]] – three built. *[[General Aircraft Monospar ST-10]] – two built. *[[General Aircraft Monospar ST-11]] – two built.
==Designs produced at Hanworth (1935–1939)== *[[General Aircraft Monospar ST-12]] – 10 built. *[[General Aircraft Monospar ST-18 Croydon]] – one built. *[[General Aircraft Monospar ST-25 Jubilee]] – 59 built. *[[General Aircraft Monospar ST-25 De Luxe]] *[[General Aircraft Monospar ST-25 Universal]] *[[General Aircraft GAL.26]] - a re-engined experimental version of the ST-25. *General Aircraft GAL.32 – design tendered for ''ab initio'' trainer. Not built. *[[General Aircraft Cagnet|General Aircraft GAL.33 Cagnet]] – one built. *[[General Aircraft Fleet Shadower|General Aircraft GAL.38 Fleet Shadower]] – a [[Naval fleet|fleet]]-following aircraft, one built. *[[General Aircraft GAL.41]] – a pressurised experimental aircraft based on the ST-25. One built. *[[General Aircraft Cygnet|General Aircraft GAL.42 Cygnet II]] – a C W Aircraft design. 10 built. *[[General Aircraft Owlet|General Aircraft GAL.45 Owlet]] – one built. *[[General Aircraft GAL.47]] – air observation post, one built. *[[General Aircraft Hotspur|General Aircraft GAL.48 Hotspur]] – a troop-carrying glider, 1,015 built. *[[General Aircraft Hamilcar|General Aircraft GAL.49 Hamilcar I]] – a tank-carrying glider, over 400 built. *[[General Aircraft Hamilcar|General Aircraft GAL.50 Hamilcar I]] – half scale prototype Hamilcar I – one built. *[[General Aircraft GAL.55]] – a two-seat training glider, two built. *[[General Aircraft GAL.56]] – an experimental flying-wing glider, four built. *[[General Aircraft Hamilcar|General Aircraft GAL.58 Hamilcar X]] – a powered version of the Hamilcar I with 22 converted from the latter. *[[Blackburn Beverley|General Aircraft GAL.60 Universal Freighter]] – a freight-carrying aircraft later to become the [[Blackburn Beverley]]. One prototype built.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Sources== {{commons category|General Aircraft Limited}} *{{cite book |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985)|publisher=Orbis Publishing}} *Brooks, Robin J. 2000. Thames Valley Airfields in the Second World War: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Middlesex {{ISBN|1-85306-633-8}} *{{cite book |last= Jackson|first= A.J.|title= British Civil Aircraft since 1919|year= 1974|publisher=Putnam|location= London|isbn=0-370-10014-X }} *London Gazette. 5 October 1934 [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/34093/pages/6304/page.pdf page 6304] *Sherwood, Tim. 1999. Coming in to Land: A Short History of Hounslow, Hanworth and Heston Aerodromes 1911–1946. [http://www.hounslowlibraries.org Heritage Publications (Hounslow Library)] {{ISBN|1-899144-30-7}} *{{cite book |last= Smith|first= Ron|title= British Built Aircraft Greater London|year= 2002|publisher=Tempus Publishing|isbn=0-7524-2770-9}}
{{GAL aircraft}} {{Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom}}
[[Category:Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1931]] [[Category:1931 establishments in England]]