Following the collapse of the British airship programme after the crash of the R101 in France on 5 October 1930, two of the R100 design team based at Howden, near York, established a new company in York to produce light aircraft. They were A. Hessell Tiltman and Nevil Shute Norway and they named the ne company Airspeed Ltd. Tiltman and Norway spent much time seeking capital but with the small capital they had it was decided to build and fly an advanced sailplane to capture as many British gliding records as it could.
A factory was set up in an empty bus garage in Piccadilly, York, and the Tern sailplane was completed by August 1931. It was successful and captured all the available records of height and distance, flown by Carli Magersuppe, and the required capital began to flow into the company.
Airspeed then entered the light aircraft field, moved the factory to Portsmouth.
The Airspeed company was established in February 1931 in York to build the Ferry 3-engined low-performance biplane, designed specifically for short-range pleasure flying (“joy riding”). The prototype Ferry, built to Sir Alan Cobham’s specification, went on tour with his National Aviation Day Displays 1932 and 1933; joined by second example 1932. In 1933 two more Ferries (four only built) acquired by John Sword of Midland and Scottish Air Ferries Ltd.
CEO of the original Airspeed was novelist Neville Shute (real name of Neville Shute Norway), and by the end of 1933 Airspeed had built two Tern sailplanes, four Ferry short-range ten-seat airliners and five Couriers.
Airspeed Ltd moved to Portsmouth in 1934 following an adavantageous agreement for new, free premises in that town’s airport. The company Airspeed Ltd was established in 1934 at Portsmouth, Hants, in association with shipbuilding interests of Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson.
In 1940 a transport glider was designed to carry two pilots and 25 troops. This was put into production as the Horsa.
In June 1951, the final merger of Airspeed into de Havilland Enterprise was announced.
All Aero 