Saturday 15 September 2007

Former Airspeed Factory - Piccadily

Airspeed Ltd. was founded in York 13 March 1931 by N.s. Norway, A.Hessel Titman, Lord Grimthorpe, Sir Alan Cobham and A.E. Hewitt. The building that was their factory is now sadly neglected and falling into a sad state of disrepair despite it having been an important part of aviation history, albeit for just two years before the company moved to Portsmouth in March 1933.

N.S. Norway is probably better known to the general public as Nevil Shute the famous writer.

The Airspeed AS.4 Ferry was designed by Sir Alan Cobham and built in York. The first one to fly, G-ABSI, flew from Sherburn in Elmet airfield.







Why is this building being left to fall apart? Is it that we in York are so steeped in the history from the Roman ages to Victorian times that we cannot see the importance of aviation history that was made under our very noses during the early part of the twentieth century? York, please wake up and afford this important building of aviation history a bit of tender loving care!

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