Maiden Flights 1949 British aircraft

[Jumbo P]

Can anyone tell me how many aircraft designed and built in Britain had their maiden flights in 1949 please.
Thank you

[ian16th]

The 1st one that comes to mind is the EE Canberra.

[Planemike]

De Havilland 106 Comet 1 ......

[AvroLincoln]

January 28 Armstrong Whitworth Meteor Night Fighter
(Converted from 4th production Meteor T.7)
March 5 Supermarine Type 398 Attacker
March 9 Avro 696 Shackleton
March 22 Westland W.35 Wyvern
April 4 Gloster G.41C Meteor Mk. III
(Air-to-air refuelling test vehicle)
April 10 Armstrong Whitworth AW.55 Apollo
April 29 Gloster Avon Meteor F.4
(Engine test bed)
May 13 English Electric A.1 Canberra
May Short S.45 Solent 3
(First of 6 conversions from Seaford)
June 15 Gloster G.41 Meteor Mk. 5
(Converted from Meteor Mk. 4)
July 17 Vickers Varsity T.1
July 23 Miles M.69/Handley Page Marathoin II
July 27 de Havilland DH.106 Comet
August 23 Handley Page HP.82 Hermes 5
August 28 de Havilland DH.113 NF.10 Vampire
August Auster J/5B Autocar
August Avro Lancaster III Dart turboprop
(Engine test bed)
September 2 de Havilland DH.112 Venom
September 3 Bristol Type 171 Sycamore Mk. 2
September 4 Bristol Type 167 Brabazon I
September 4 Avro 707
September 17 Avro Athena T.1
September 19 Fairey 17 Type Q Gannet
September 20 Blackburn Y.A.7
September de Havilland Vampire FB.5
October 20 Cierva W.14/Skeeter 2
November 22 Chrislea CH.3 Series 4 Skyjeep 4
(No date known) Douglas Dart turboprop Dakota
(No date known) Westland HR.1 Dragonfly
(1st production, under licence from Sikorsky)

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

You missed one.


Short S.45A Solent 4, SH.1556, ZK-AML “Aotearoa II” made its maiden test flight on 20th April 1949.

[AvroLincoln]

Many thanks, if anyone else can add to my list I would be grateful. I have been "collecting" maiden flights for many years! Of course I also have them for other years and countries too (what an anorak I must be!)

[POBJOY]

You forget that the LAA (Formerly PFA) are responsible for many 1st Flights in the UK all the time and have been for very many decades, so we are not quite 'dead' yet, even if industry struggles.

[Jumbo P]

Many thanks, especially to Avro Lincoln. Data collection for its own sake has value when it can be made available like this. I am amazed at the number and variety, and I agree whole-heartedly with button push ignored. The list makes the point I want to make in a book centred on 1949 that I am writing.

[squeaker]

I have a copy of the 1949 Observers Book of Aircraft which features most of those mentioned, one of my most treasured possessions, 15p at a school jumble sale about 1977!

[Planemike]

Cierva W.14 Skeeter 2.......15 October 1949 H.A.Marsh at Eastleigh.