- British Aircraft Corporation
Westminster London
British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) was created in 1960 after the British government sought to rationalise the aviation industry by offering new contracts to larger firms created through mergers and take-overs. The firm's head office was in Pall Mall, London. One of the first contracts to be awarded was for the TSR-2, a supersonic all-weather strike reconnaissance aircraft. Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd were selected as prime contractor with English Electric Aviation Ltd as sub-contractor. An initial amalgamation was agreed and soon after Bristol Aircraft Ltd also joined BAC. The firms took shareholdings of 40%, 40% and 20% in BAC respectively, but still had substantial interests outside of BAC. Hunting Aircraft Ltd later joined BAC too. In 1963 BAC acquired the guided weapons interests of both Bristol Aircraft Ltd and English Electric Ltd and in addition created companies to serve the newly-emerging space and electronics industries. Most BAC aircraft designs were those of its constituent companies to which BAC did not apply its new identity. The first model to bear the BAC name was the BAC1-11 in 1961. The cancellation of the TSR-2 project in 1965 was a major blow to the company, although its continued success in the civil airliner market, with the BAC1-11, and in the military sector, with the improved Lightning, Canberra and new Strikemaster, meant that BAC continued to be stretched to capacity. BAC reached agreement with Bréguet Aviation in 1966 to build the SEPECAT Jaguar attack aircraft and the first prototype flew in 1968. In early 1969 Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm, Fiat and Fokker joined forces with BAC and formally created Panavia Aircraft GmbH to produce the Panavia Tornado, of which 992 were produced worldwide. Meanwhile a major world aviation landmark was reached in 1969 with the first flight of the Anglo-French supersonic passenger airliner Concorde, which had been developed jointly by BAC and the French state-owned Sud-Aviation. Concorde entered service in 1976. In 1977 BAC, Hawker Siddeley Group and Scottish Aviation Ltd were nationalised and merged under the provisions of Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act 1977 into a new group established as a statutory corporation, British Aerospace.
BAC1-11 (1963); BAC221 (1964); TSR.2 (1964); Strikemaster (1967); Concorde (1969).
C Gardner, British Aircraft Corporation. A History (1981); S Skinner, British Aircraft Corporation. A History (2012).
Various records 1960-77.
Spencer Thornton & Co investment research department report on Bristol Aeroplane Co 1966 [BAE AC5/1]; liquidation papers 1967-80 [RR CO/3]; papers re mergers, Fairey, Bristol Aeroplane, Vickers and English Electric 1959-62, 1973 [RR CO/4]; Bristol Aeroplane Co Ltd: activities of associated and subsidiary companies 1960-65 [BAE AD10/4-7], plastics accounts 1960-66 [RR AC5/187-193]; plastics board minutes 1960-67 [RR AD1/15]; papers re Concorde production, testing, prototype and pre-production aircraft flights and early service 1957-93 [BAE ET3/3]; Concorde promotional material incl menus, posters, brochures and press cuttings late 20th cent [PIT, KEM/CON, KEM REF/3/423, WEL, MAT, KIN, TAL, BOU, COO, ROB, NEA, SIM, DAR, PAA, LOM, UNK, GILL, BROAD, HAW, EVE, IBB, JOH, OHO, BAN, ORC, BESS, MAL, MAI, FRAS, BRAD/5, KERR].
Bristol Aircraft Services: board and general meeting agenda and minutes 1960-72 [RR AD1/20], register of seals 1960-79 [RR CO/5], accounts and cash books 1960-72 [RR AC5/156-176].
Bristol Aircraft Holdings: board meeting minutes 1970-71 [RR AD1/19], accounts 1969-73 [RR AC5/177].
Bristol Aerojet: board meeting minutes 1958-68 [RR AD1/18], accounts 1959-67 [RR AC5/179-186].
Technical report 200 series BAC X-11 1977; brochures and marketing materials 1961-72.
Company-sponsored films on Concorde 1966-74.
Photograph albums, press cuttings and papers re Canberra aircraft built at Warton, Preston [DDX2704].
Papers re the design and testing off the Concorde 002 prototype aircraft, incl memoranda, meeting notes and defect log templates 1960-79, drawings and technical specifications 1961-77, information sets, diagrams and calculations 1960-79, publications 1971-75 and photographs, aircraft parts (26) n.d. [CONC].
Papers re development of British Concorde prototype 1960s; technical drawings n.d.; technical manuals n.d.
Institution of Engineering and Technology
Personal papers of Robin Inskip, 2nd Viscount Caldecote, co-founder: papers re company formation, including minutes, reports and correspondence 1959-69 [UK0108 SC MSS 165/1/2].
Specification booklets, data sheets, marketing brochures, manuals and leaflets 1960s-70s [Trade Literature Collection].
Papers, photographs, manuals, brochures and drawings re design, production, testing, development and service of BAC 1-11 1956-82 [CC/1-11 series]; papers and photographs re design, manufacture and cancellation of TSR2 1956-65 [CC/TSR series]; papers, photographs, brochures and microfiche re Concorde design, production, testing, prototype and pre-production aircraft flights and early service 1956-77 [CC/SST series]; Concorde promotional material, including menus, posters, brochures and press cuttings 1976-2003 [S81, S82]; personal papers of executive director Sir George Edwards 1935-2003 [CC/GRE series].
Papers of J K Quill: papers re development of TSR2 and Jaguar 1956-65, 1973-75; correspondence, documents and lectures re his work as a sales director 1962-75.
British Airways Heritage Collection
For information about records held, incl manufacturer’s Concorde manuals, contact the British Airways Heritage Collection.