Filton Airfield History

Most people in Bristol will be aware of Filton Airfield to the North of the city, but perhaps not its major contribution to aviation in the 20th century. As you drive up A38 out of Bristol towards the M4/M5 interchange, past the hangars and the Rolls-Royce factory, you can't miss the expansive airfield. You can see the main runway stretching into the distance, and the massive three bay assembly hall, both completed in 1948 for construction the mightly Brabazon airliner. Perhaps one or two airliners will be parked out on the tarmac. Many Bristolians refer to Concorde, built at Filton and arguably the most famous aircraft to fly, as Bristols own aeroplane. A large number of people have worked or know someone who has worked for the companies based at Filton - BAE Systems, Airbus and Rolls-Royce - and their predecessors - British Aerospace, the British Aircraft Corporation, Bristol Aircraft, Bristol Siddeley Engines, the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and so on. Perhaps a few realise that aviation activity started on the Filton site as far back as 1910.

Filton has been home to many advances in flight, many world records, many firsts in aviation and space, and has been doing so consistently for almost a century. From the first aircraft built at Filton - the unsucessful Zodiac, to the new super-jumbo, the double-decker Airbus A.380, this page documents the history behind the airfield.

During last century the main activity at Filton was aircraft production. From 1910 to 1976 nearly 16,000 aircraft were built at Filton or at its shadow factories. Another 8,300 Filton-designed aircraft were built under licence or under contract by other companies, in places such as Australia and Canada, as well as in the UK. Filton has also been a centre for aircraft engine production. Other products have been built or designed here - trams, buses, cars, missiles, spacecraft, pre-fabricated houses and schools, boats, ships, even furniture.

1910	February - Bristol and Colonial Aeroplane Company forms. Boxkite production starts in two tram sheds on Fairlawn Avenue in Filton
1911	Bristol and Colonial sets up headquarters at Filton House, and 18^th century residence on Gloucester Road
1915	Construction of the present day Filton airfield begins, at the bottom of Filton Hill, a short distance north of the factory. The all-grass airfield is built for the Royal Flying Corps.
1916	RFC Squadrons move in, using the base to get up to operational status before relocating to France or elsewhere. January 12^th - 33 Squadron formed at Filton, and later moved out to Yorkshire for home defence duties; April 1^st - 42 Squadron formed at Filton, and in August moved to France; June - 19 Squadron moved in to Filton, having formed at Castle Bromwich. In July it moved out to St. Omer in France; June 30^th - 66 Squadron formed at Filton, before moving to Vert Galand in France. July 14^th – First flight of the Bristol M.1A monoplane September 9^th – First flight of the Bristol F.2A Fighter. November 22nd - Sir George White bt. founder of the British & Colonial Aeroplane Company, dies suddenly, aged 62.
1917	3 Belfast flight sheds completed, and allocated to No. 5 Aircraft Acceptance Park. The hangars, located next to the Gloucester Road opposite Gypsy Patch Lane, were supposedly built by German prisoners of war. They were demolished mid 1990’s to make way for the Royal Mail sorting office.
1919	New wind tunnel built on the factory site. It was destroyed in the Lufwaffe raids of 1942 March 18th - 101 Squadron moves in from Laneffe, France. October 11th - 101 Squadron moves on to Eastleigh.
1920	British and Colonial Aeroplane Company renamed Bristol Aeroplane Company. Bristol acquires the Cosmos Engineering Company, and starts to manufacturing aero engines
1923	May - RAF reserve school created at Filton, namely No. 2 Flying Reserve Training School.
1927	May 17^th – First flight of the Bristol 105 Bulldog
1929	June 14th – No.501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron formed as a special reserve Squadron of the RAF, equiped with D.H.9As
1930	March - No. 501 Squadron equips with Westland Wapitis
1933	No. 2 FRTS re-equips with Tiget Moths. No. 501 Squadron re-equips with Westland Wallaces
1935	April 12^th - First flight of the Bristol 142, named Britain First. Although ordered as a high-speed business transport by Lord Rothermere, editor of the Daily Express, it leads to the Blenheim, Beaufort, Beaufighter and Brigand.
1936	April - New Filton House opens next to Old Filton House. The art deco office block contains the figures of Mercury and Pegasus – both names of Bristol engines. Visible high up on the north east corner is a relief carving of the Bristol 142. May - No. 501 Squadron transferred to Auxiliary Air Force. June 25^th – First Flight of the Bristol 142M Blenheim Mark I. July - No.501 Squadron re-equips with Hawker Harts.
1937	No. 2 FRTS becomes Number 2 Elementary Flying Training School.
1938	March - No. 501 Squadron re-equips with Hawker Hinds. October 15^th – First flight of the Bristol 152 Beaufort December - No. 501 Squadron converts to a fighter squadron
1939	January - Ferry pilot pool formed. March - No. 501 Squadron receive its first Hawker Hurricane. July 17^th – First flight of the Bristol 156 Beaufighter. September 3^rd – The first aircraft to cross enemy lines in World War II was Bristol Blenheim IV, N6215. November – 501 Squadron moves to Tangmere, Sussex.
1940	August – No. 2 EFTS moves out, due to barrage balloons at Filton September 25^th – The Filton works are bombed by the Luftwaffe, and 91 factory employees are killed. 58 Henkel He111's of KG55 dropped 100 tons of high explosives and 24 tones of oil bombs. The next day, Huricanes of 504 Squadron move in to protect the factory. December - 504 Squadron moves out to Exeter, and 501 Squadron returns with its Huricanes.
1941	April - 501 Squadron leaves Filton for Colerne, converting to Spitfires in the process. For the rest of World War II, 501 moves base frequently, converting to the Tempest in August 1944. Hard runways replace grass strip
1942?	Filton becomes a USAAF airfield - number 803 - housing the 21st, 22nd and 33rd Mobile R&R (Reclamation and Repair) Squadrons of the 9th Air Force. American aircraft such as P-51 Mustangs, P-47 Thunderbolts and B-17 Flying Fortresses become regular visitors
1945	December 2^nd – first flight of the Bristol 170 Freighter
1946	May 10th - No.501 Squadron reforms at Filton, this time as a Royal Auxiliary Air Force Squadron. Spitfires began arriving in October. Autumn - Construction of the Brabazon Assembly Hall started. The huge 7 acre hall was built to hold up to eight Brabazon airliners, in three bays. The east bay was finished first, by October 1947, and the other bays in 1948. At the same time, the hangar apron was built, cutting into Filton Hill. September - The existing runway was deemed too short and narrow for the Brabazon, so a 1,250 yard extension was started. The extension would not only cross the newly-built Bristol by-pass, it would obliterate the village of Charleton too.
1947	July 27^th – first flight of the Bristol 171 Sycamore.
1948	No. 501 Squadron converts to jets – the de Havilland Vampire. April – Runway extension is completed, making it 2,750 yards long, and 100 yards across. April – No. 12 Reserve Flying School forms at Filton, using Tiger Moths and Avro Ansons.
1949	4^th September – First flight of the Bristol 167 Brabazon.
Late 1940s	The west bay of the Assembly Hall used as maintenance base for BOAC, seeing Stratocruisers and Constellations.
Early 1950’s	RAF Boeing B-29 Washingtons in for modification.
1950	November – Bristol University Air Squadron forms at Filton using Tiger Moths
1952	January 3^rd – First flight of the Bristol 173 twin rotor helicopter April 14^th – First flight of the Bristol 188 research jet August 16^th – first flight of the Bristol 175 Britannia
1953	March – No. 12 R.F.S. disbands October - Brabazon prototype scrapped, along with the second unfinished example
1956	January - Activities of the Bristol Aeroplane Company reorganised into separate subsidiary companies – Bristol Aircraft Ltd., Bristol Aero Engines Ltd. and Bristol Cars Ltd.
1957	February 3rd - Flight Officer John Greenwood Crossley, in protest at the imminent disbandment of the RAuxAF, flew his 501 Sqn Vampire FB.9 under the Clifton Suspension Bridge, a manoeuvre which was strictly forbidden. He then performed a barrel roll, but lost height, and crashed into the side of the Avon Gorge, being killed instantly. March 10th - 501 Squadron disbanded, as part of the closure of the Royal Auxilliary Air Force November 6th - another fatal accident, this time a Britiannia on development trials crashed at Downend while on approach to Filton. All 15 crew and technicians on board perished, but no-one on the ground was killed. The cause was not identified, but was thought to be a faulty auto-pilot, which was rectified on other Britannias.
1958	July – first flight of the Bristol 193 Belvedere Autumn - No.3 AEF (Air Experience Flight) formed at Filton, equiped with de Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunks.
1959	Bristol Aero Engines merged with Armstrong Siddeley Motors, bcoming Bristol Siddeley Engines Ltd.
1960	June – Bristol Aircraft Ltd. joins Vickers and English Electric to form the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC), although the individual identities remain.
Early 1960s	V site (now known as Apron 3) constructed. With the Cuban Missile crisis and threat of nuclear war looming, the fleet of nuclear-capable V bombers were dispersed around the country. A hardstanding was built north of the RAF site, which could hold up to 4 Vulcan bombers. Each of the four stands were parallel, so that the non-start of one did not block the others. A direct taxiway to the threshold of runway 27 was also built. In practice, a maximum of 3 Vulcan were seen at any one time
Early 1960s	Vickers Valiant bombers modified at Filton
1960s	Lotus Elite bodies manufactured in BAC Tool Room, adjacent to Southmead Road. For many years the resin was still on the floors around the machines on the ground floor. Nobel light car bodies were made in the Bristol Plastics shop opposite the Wind Tunnel, together with aircraft drop tanks.
1960	The pilot of an RAF Vulcan elected to abort his landing, after aquaplaning on a wet runway 09. Although he managed to get airborne, he was very close to the A38, and the engine blast all but destroyed the pumps at the Runway Garage. The aptly named garage on the A38 was literally at the end of the runway, but was relocated further along the A38 after the accident. Cars on the road were spun around, iron railings were torn up, and the Vulcan only just missed the Proteus Test Bed in the East Works!
1962	December 3rd – Vulcan XA894, the TSR-2's Olympus 320 testbed, is destroyed by fire on the ground at Filton, when the engine fails.
1963	May - Vulcan XA903 arrives as a replacement for XA894. December – The Bristol name finally lost, being renamed British Aircraft Corporation Filton Division.
late 1960's	BAC One Eleven tail sections, including the rear access door, were made & assembled at Filton. The cockpit/air intake of BAC Lightings were assembled in the West Bay of the Brabazon Hangar Valiants of the V-bomber fleet were broken-up on the Apron below the Filton Golf Course.
1968	Bristol Siddeley Engines acquired by Rolls-Royce
1969	April 9^th – First flight of Concorde 002, the first British assembled example. It lands at Fairford for further flight tests.
1975	January - Bristol University Air Squadron swaps its Chipmunks for Scottish Aviation Bulldogs
1977	April - BAC becomes British Aerospace, a nationalised corporation.
1979	April 20th - First flight of the final Concorde, G-BFKX, which was delivered to British Airways as G-BOAF on 13th June 1980.
1980's	Panavia Tornado parts built at Filton - including cockpit components, and slat and flap rails. The Centre fuselages of the BAe 146 airliner were also built here.
1981	January - British Aerospace becomes a Public Limited Company
1982	June 22^nd – First flight of the VC-10 K Mark 2 tanker conversion (ZA141). First batch of nine ex Gulf Air and East African Airways VC-10s converted to tankers for the Royal Air Force.
1984	July 4th - First flight of VC-10 K Mark 3 tanker conversion (ZA148)
1985	July 2^nd - The Giotto spacecraft built at Filton, and was launched in an Ariane rocket. It was designed to intercept and study Halleys Comet, and intercepted it on 13^th March 1986. Despite some damage from a large dust particle from the comet, it produced a wealth of information, including the identification of the cometary nucleus. It went on to intercept Comet Grigg-Skjelleup in July 1992, and last flew by the Earth on 1^st July 1999.
mid 1980s	USAF F-111 overhauls - over 200 in all
1987	May – Last VC-10 tanker conversion delivered
1988	Hangar built for pre-production Concorde G-BBDG, which had been in external store since 1981. The hangar is just north of the RAF hangars, next to Apron 3
1989	Production of guided missiles finishes
1990	February 1st - British Aerospace awarded the contract for the second batch of VC-10 tanker conversions for the Royal Air Force. The ex British Airways Vickers VC-10 had been in storage at Abingdon for almost a decade. 5 converted to K Mark 4 in all (ZD230, ZD235, ZD240, ZD241, ZD242). ZD243 arrived by road during 1992 for spares.
Early 1990’s	Plans laid to open up Filton to commercial airline traffic, but shelved following protests from locals, due to the proximity of several housing estates.
1992	Aviation Services formed, to perform overhaul and maintenance on the Airbus family March - The Bulldogs of Bristol University Air Squadron and No.3 AEF move out, initially to Hulavington, but later to Colerne
1993	First flight of the VC-10 K Mark 4 tanker conversion (ZD242)
1997	January 23^rd - First flight of the Airbus A.300 Passenger to Cargo conversion (N407U for Channel Express).
2002	May: Closure of Aviation Services announced following a downturn in the airline market, after terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001 June: 150 Acres of land north of the runway sold to Bovis for housing development August: First metal cut for Airbus A.380
2003	March: Respray company Air Livery sets up a paint shop in East Bay, specialising in wide-body airliners June: MK Airlines starts maintenance of their DC-8 and Boeing 747 fleet in Centre Bay. November 26th - The last Concorde built (G-BOAF) arrives at Filton for preservation. Its arrival marks the last ever flight by a Concorde.
2004	August: Concorde at Filton opens, with organised tours of the last Concorde.
2006	May 18th - Airbus A.380 prototype F-WWDD makes a couple of flypasts at Filton before landing at Heathrow. November - plans are announced for a new Concorde Visitors Centre near Cribbs Causeway.
2007	March 26th - First visit of an Airbus A.380 to Filton.
The present	Airbus UK headquarters – including wing, fuel system and land gear system design for Airbus family of airliners. Also some wing and fuselage section assembly for Airbus aircraft. Airbus A380 inboard and mid rear spar assembly Airbus A400M wing assembly Home to BAE Systems Naval Programmes – including Type 45 Destroyer and Future Carrier Alliance projects.

Bristol Aeroplane Company - This website is devoted to the Bristol Aeroplane Company and its predecessor, the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, and the people behind it

Aviation Archive - Run by South Gloucestershire Council, this website contains an archive of photographs ans stories from a century of aviation in the Filton area

Famous Vulcans - This website contains detailed information on Vulcan XA903. This was used by Bristol-Siddeley, later Rolls-Royce, from 1963 to 1979 as a testbed for the Olympus 593 and RB 199 engines