• Current opened records

  • Beagle Aircraft Ltd

Aircraft manufacturers
Location:

  • Shoreham, West Sussex

Operating dates:
  • 1960 - 1969
History:
  • British Executive & General Aviation Ltd, was formed at Shoreham, Sussex, in 1960, by Sir Peter Masefield, formerly managing director of Bristol Aeroplane Co Ltd. The new company was established as a subsidiary of Pressed Steel Ltd - which provided the financial backing - with the aim of producing a range of light aircraft. The company took over aircraft manufacturers Auster Aircraft Ltd of Rearsby, Leicestershire, in 1960 and F G Miles Ltd of Shoreham, Sussex, in 1962. Initially the three businesses operated separately, the Rearsby factory as Beagle-Auster Ltd and the Shoreham factory as Beagle-Miles Ltd, but all were soon brought together as Beagle Aircraft Ltd in 1962. The company, over optimistic about the number and type of aircraft it could produce, made strategic errors and incurred substantial financial losses. In 1965 the firm's parent company, Pressed Steel Ltd, was acquired by British Motor Corporation which, having taken stock of its involvement in light aircraft manufacture, requested government support. Beagle Aircraft Ltd was nationalised in 1966, but when the company needed additional financial help in 1969, the government put it into receivership. The receiver tried to revive the company, as Beagle Aircraft (1969) Ltd, but failed and the company was wound up and the liquidator disposed of its assets.
Principal and significant aircraft manufactured:
  • Husky (1960); A61 Terrier (1961); A109 Airedale (1961); B206 (1961); B206R Basset (1961); M218 (1962); B121 Pup (1967); B125 Bulldog (1969).
Publications:
  • Midland Counties Aviation Research Gr Beagle Aircraft Ltd: a production history (1974); T Wenham, False dawn: the Beagle Aircraft story (2015).
Records 1:
Records 2:
Records 3:

  • Brooklands Museum

    Papers and photographs of company's founder Sir Peter Masefield 1960-69 [D3237].

Records 4:

  • British Motor Industry Heritage Trust

    Memoranda and articles of association 1948-64; directors’ meeting minute book incl share transfer forms 1948-64; register of seals 1949-74; share certificates book, F G Miles Ltd 1949-61; share certificates, declarations of trust and stock transfer forms, F G Miles Ltd, Beagle Aircraft Ltd and P S Aviation Ltd 1949-74; cash book 1963-67 [76-BGA-1, 80/92/1].

CID:

Image Viewer