ADC Aircraft

Aircraft Disposals Company (Airdisco)

Industry	Aviation
Fate	Wound up
Founded	1920
Defunct	1930
Key people	Frederick Handley Page, Frank Halford

The Aircraft Disposals Company (ADC) or Airdisco, was a British firm established in March 1920 to take advantage of the large number of World War I-surplus military aircraft on the market.^[1]

History

One of the founders was Frederick Handley Page, the British aviation pioneer. ADC bought the entire available stock of surplus aircraft engines and spares, including 10,000 airframes and 30,000 engines, for the sum of £1,000,000 plus a share of any profits.^[2] Many ex-military aircraft were converted to various civil roles before being sold on while others were sold to military buyers.

By 1925, it had sold 2,000 airframes and 3,000 engines, generating profits of over £2,500,000, of which half was returned to the British Treasury.^[3]

The company had several sites across Britain including 11 acres (45,000 m²) of Regent's Park in London known as Marylebone Green. Three of the National Aircraft Factories became part of the Aircraft Disposal Company including Aintree in Liverpool, Waddon in Croydon, and at Stockport near Manchester.

Registered Office

• The company became known as Airdisco from its telegraph address. The company had offices at Regent House, 89 Kingsway London WC2. The company name was changed to The Imperial & Foreign Corporation Ltd and was finally wound up in 1930.

Aircraft

• Airdisco Phi-Phi

Aircraft engines

The company produced a small range of aircraft engines under the direction of Frank Halford, the 'Cirrus' line continued to be manufactured by Cirrus Aero Engines Ltd and their successors.^[4]

• ADC Airdisco
• ADC Cirrus
• ADC Nimbus
• ADC Airsix

See also

Related lists

• List of aircraft engine manufacturers

References

Citations

1. Gunston 2005, p.7.
2. Barnes 1976, pp.26-27.
3. Barnes 1976, p.27.
4. Lumsden 2003, p.54.

Bibliography

• Barnes, C.H. Handley Page Aircraft since 1907. London: Putnam, 1976. ISBN 978-0-370-00030-5.
• Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aircraft Manufacturers. Stroud, UK:Sutton Publishing, 2nd Edition, 2005. ISBN 0-7509-3981-8.
• Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6.