User:Samnviv/sandbox

Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft/Hawker Siddeley/British Aerospace
In 1942 the Ministry of Aircraft Production built a factory on the south side of the Lutterworth Road adjacent to the airfield for the assembly and flight testing of Avro Lancasters by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft (AWA). After the war ended, AWA leased the factory, and in 1947 leased the entire airfield, and bought it outright in 1956. They expanded the original factory (the "Old Site") and built further facilities on the north side of the airfield (the "New Site"). The following aircraft were produced and maintained at Bitteswell:


 * Avro Lancaster 1943-1945
 * Avro Lincoln 1945-1951
 * Armstrong Whitworth A.W.52 1946-1949
 * Gloster Meteor 1951-1953
 * Hawker Sea Hawk 1953-1955
 * Hawker Hunter 1954-1957
 * Gloster Javelin 1957-1961
 * Armstrong Whitworth Argosy 1961-1964
 * Avro Vulcan 1959-1971 (upgrading)
 * Avro Shackleton 1971-1981 (upgrading)
 * Folland Gnat 1972-1976 (upgrading]
 * BAE Hawk 1979-1983

==Bitteswell Airport

The airfield was purchased in 1984 by Doug Arnold and renamed Bitteswell Airport. Part of his collection of classic aircraft Warbirds of Great Britain were transferred from Blackbushe Airfield, including several Spitfires, a P-51D Mustang and a B-17G Flying Fortress. It closed in 1987.