De Havilland Engine Company
Encyclopedia
The de Havilland Engine Company was an offshoot of the de Havilland
aircraft building company, which started life as the 'Engine Division of the de Havilland Aircraft Company' in 1926 producing the famous de Havilland Gipsy
aero-engine. The company was merged with Bristol Siddeley
(BSEL) engines in 1961 with BSEL subsequently becoming part of Rolls-Royce Limited
in 1966.
in February 1944 and later moved into a factory at Leavesden
leased by the government in 1946 which had earlier been a site for Handley Page Halifax
production. This is now the location of Leavesden Film Studios
.
It went on to produce one of the early turbojet engines the de Havilland Goblin which saw service in the early post-war de Havilland Vampire
fighter.
The later Ghost
turbojet propelled early versions of the de Havilland Comet
jetliner and the de Havilland Venom
fighter.
The company later developed the de Havilland Gnome turboshaft under licence from the General Electric T58
design, but the company was absorbed into Bristol Siddeley
engines in 1961; Bristol itself subsequently became part of Rolls-Royce Limited
in 1966.
De Havilland
The de Havilland Aircraft Company was a British aviation manufacturer founded in 1920 when Airco, of which Geoffrey de Havilland had been chief designer, was sold to BSA by the owner George Holt Thomas. De Havilland then set up a company under his name in September of that year at Stag Lane...
aircraft building company, which started life as the 'Engine Division of the de Havilland Aircraft Company' in 1926 producing the famous de Havilland Gipsy
De Havilland Gipsy
The de Havilland Gipsy is a British air-cooled 4-cylinder in-line aircraft engine designed by Frank Halford in 1927 to replace the ADC Cirrus in the de Havilland D.H.60 Moth light biplane....
aero-engine. The company was merged with Bristol Siddeley
Bristol Siddeley
Bristol Siddeley Engines Ltd was a British aero engine manufacturer. The company was formed in 1959 by a merger of Bristol Aero-Engines Limited and Armstrong Siddeley Motors Limited. In 1961 the company was expanded by the purchase of the de Havilland Engine Company and the engine division of...
(BSEL) engines in 1961 with BSEL subsequently becoming part of Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
in 1966.
History
The company was officially formed at Stag LaneStag Lane Aerodrome
Stag Lane Aerodrome was a private aerodrome between 1915 and 1933 located in Edgware, London, UK.-History:The land for an aerodrome was purchased by the London & Provincial Aviation Company during October 1915. The company used the aerodrome for flying training during the First World War...
in February 1944 and later moved into a factory at Leavesden
Leavesden
Leavesden may mean:*An area near Watford, Hertfordshire, England*Leavesden Film Studios, a film and media complex owned by Warner Bros. on the site of the former Rolls-Royce factory at Leavesden Aerodrome...
leased by the government in 1946 which had earlier been a site for Handley Page Halifax
Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
production. This is now the location of Leavesden Film Studios
Leavesden Film Studios
Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden , is a film and media complex owned by Warner Bros.. The studios and backlot sit on the site of the former Rolls-Royce factory at Leavesden Aerodrome, which was an important centre of aircraft production during World War II...
.
It went on to produce one of the early turbojet engines the de Havilland Goblin which saw service in the early post-war de Havilland Vampire
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
fighter.
The later Ghost
De Havilland Ghost
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
turbojet propelled early versions of the de Havilland Comet
De Havilland Comet
The de Havilland DH 106 Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner to reach production. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland at the Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom headquarters, it first flew in 1949 and was a landmark in aeronautical design...
jetliner and the de Havilland Venom
De Havilland Venom
The de Havilland DH 112 Venom was a British postwar single-engined jet aircraft developed from the de Havilland Vampire. It served with the Royal Air Force as a single-seat fighter-bomber and two-seat night fighter....
fighter.
The company later developed the de Havilland Gnome turboshaft under licence from the General Electric T58
General Electric T58
|-See also:-References:* and...
design, but the company was absorbed into Bristol Siddeley
Bristol Siddeley
Bristol Siddeley Engines Ltd was a British aero engine manufacturer. The company was formed in 1959 by a merger of Bristol Aero-Engines Limited and Armstrong Siddeley Motors Limited. In 1961 the company was expanded by the purchase of the de Havilland Engine Company and the engine division of...
engines in 1961; Bristol itself subsequently became part of Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
in 1966.
Piston engines
- de Havilland GhostDe Havilland Ghost (V8)|-See also:-Bibliography:* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6.-External links:*...
- de Havilland GipsyDe Havilland GipsyThe de Havilland Gipsy is a British air-cooled 4-cylinder in-line aircraft engine designed by Frank Halford in 1927 to replace the ADC Cirrus in the de Havilland D.H.60 Moth light biplane....
- de Havilland Gipsy Minor
- de Havilland Gipsy Minor
- de Havilland Gipsy Major
- de Havilland Gipsy SixDe Havilland Gipsy Six|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Wellingborough, UK: Patrick Stephens, 1986, p. 50. ISBN 0-75094-479-X.* Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7...
- de Havilland Gipsy QueenDe Havilland Gipsy Queen|-Survivors:Of the 11 Gipsy Queen-powered de Havilland Doves on the British register, only two remain airworthy .-Engines on display:Preserved de Havilland Gipsy Queen engines are on public display at the following museums:*de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre...
- de Havilland Gipsy Twelve
- de Havilland Gipsy King
Turbojets
- de Havilland GhostDe Havilland Ghost|-See also:-Bibliography:*Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
- de Havilland Goblin
- de Havilland GyronDe Havilland Gyron|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9-External links:** - A 1957 Flight magazine article on the Gyron...
- de Havilland Gyron JuniorDe Havilland Gyron Junior|-See also:-External links:* *...
Rocket engines
- de Havilland SpriteDe Havilland SpriteThe Sprite was a British rocket engine built by de Havilland for use in RATO applications. For RATO use only a short burn time is required, with simplicity and light weight as major virtues...
- de Havilland Super SpriteDe Havilland SpriteThe Sprite was a British rocket engine built by de Havilland for use in RATO applications. For RATO use only a short burn time is required, with simplicity and light weight as major virtues...
- de Havilland SpectreDe Havilland SpectreThe de Havilland Spectre was a rocket engine built by de Havilland in the 1950s. It was one element of the intended mixed powerplant for combination rocket-jet interceptor aircraft for the Royal Air Force, such as the Saunders-Roe SR.53....