| Founded | November 1916 |
|---|---|
| Defunct | 1920 |
| Fate | Dissolved |
| Headquarters | Cricklewood, London ,United Kingdom |
TheNieuport & General Aircraft Company Ltd was a British aircraft manufacturer, established during the First World War to build FrenchNieuport aircraft under licence, which closed down in 1920.
On 16 November 1916,Samuel Waring, the owner of the furniture manufacturerWaring & Gillow, established the Nieuport & General Aircraft Company atCricklewood, London to build the FrenchNieuport 11 fighter under licence.[1][2] It built 50Nieuport 17bis fighters before production changed to the more capableSopwith Camel,[1][3] building 400 Camels, with 100Sopwith Snipes being delivered postwar.[4][5]
In 1917, an official Inquiry (the Burbidge Report) into the activities of theRoyal Aircraft Factory led to design and construction of aircraft at Farnborough being stopped, and the Factory's design teams being broken up. Nieuport & General took advantage of this situation to hireHenry Folland, the designer of theS.E.5 fighter, as chief designer.[6] Folland designed a number of aircraft, with theNieuport Nighthawk fighter being ordered into production in August 1918,[7] but the failure of the engine chosen to power it together with the end of the First World War, led to production being ended and the Nighthawk not entering service.[citation needed]
Nieuport & General was closed down in August 1920, together with the other aircraft companies owned by Waring,British Aerial Transport (BAT) and theAlliance Aeroplane Company.[8][9] Folland was hired by theGloster Aircraft Company, continuing development of the Nighthawk.[10]
