• Scottish Aviation Ltd

Scottish Aviation Ltd traces its origins to a flying school established at Prestwick in 1933 by the aviation pioneer, David McIntyre, and his partner Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton. The pair made the first flight over Everest in 1933. In 1935 they set up Scottish College of Aviation Ltd, changing its name to Scottish Aviation Ltd in 1936. McIntyre owned Prestwick airfield and they soon acquired and dismantled a building used as the Palace of Engineering at the 1938 Empire Exhibition in Glasgow and re-erected it there as a factory and home for the flying school. During the Second World War Scottish Aviation was involved in aircraft fitting, including maintenance and conversion of the Consolidated Liberator bomber, the repair of Sunderland flying boats and overseeing Civilian Repair Organisation work on Spitfires and Hurricanes. After the war the company continued with airliner conversion and modifications and produced their own robust short take-off and landing military aircraft, such as the Pioneer and Twin Pioneer. During the 1960s the company supported all Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft operating in Europe. Scottish Aviation Ltd took over the production of both the Bulldog aircraft, forming Scottish Aviation (Bulldog) Ltd after Beagle Aircraft Co Ltd went into receivership in 1969, and the production of the Jetstream turbo-prop aircraft after Handley Page Ltd was wound up in 1970. The company continued to develop the Jetstream range under Jetstream Aircraft Ltd until Scottish Aviation Ltd was merged into British Aerospace plc in 1977.