AeroPlane facts from Miles Platting

In 1910, Alliott Verdon Roe, one of the early pioneers of aviation, founded the Avro Aeroplane Manufacturing Company, at Brownsfield Mill on Great Ancoats Street. Earlier, he had designed and built his third aeroplane, the Roe Triplane 1. On 23 July 1909, this became the first British designed and built aeroplane ever to fly! Unfortunately, the engine was too small to achieve more than a distance of 900 feet at a height of 10 feet.

In October of the same year, the Triplane was entered in the Blackpool Aviation Meeting, where sadly, it failed to impress spectators who called it ‘the hopper’.

In 1913, A.V. Roe moved his company to Clifton Street, Miles Platting and Roy Chadwick joined the company. Chad- wick designed the Avro 504 biplane at the Clifton Street Works. This became the standard flying machine for the newly formed Royal Flying Corps. The Avro 504 was used as a fighter bomber and reconnaissance aeroplane during the 1914-1918 war.

At the outbreak of the first world war, Roy Dobson joined the company. Chadwick and Dobson would be synonymous with the name A.V. Roe.

During those early days Holland Street, Miles Platting was used as a landing strip for aircraft when they flew in for repairs at the Clifton Street factory. According to family history, my grandfather was associated with Avro. His land which was adjacent to the Clifton Street factory, was used for the purpose of storing aircraft.

The relationship with Miles Platting continued after the great war. Then in 1920, Avro built a new factory in Briscoe Lane, Newton Heath. It was here that the Autogyro was manufactured, having been invented in 1923 in Spain, by Juan de la Cierva. The most famous Autogyro was ‘Little Nellie’ which was used in the James Bond film, ‘You Only Live Twice’.

The Avro order book was so full that in 1934 it was agreed to extend the Newton Heath factory by a further 250.000sq feet. Avro also later acquired land that became the Chadderton factory.

In 1936 Roy Chadwick began design work on what was to become the Lancaster Bomber. During the 1939-45 war this stalwart of the sky was used for the bombing of German cities. It was also used to carry the bouncing bombs invented by Barnes Wallace.

From those early beginnings in Ancoats and Miles Platting, grew the huge aircraft manufacturer known today as British Aerospace. That link between Ancoats, Miles Platting and Avro deserves its place in the history of flight.

For more information, visit The Air and Space Gallery at the Museum of Science and Industry.

Compiled by A.J. Shannon
Edited by Kathryn Bates