Northern Ireland Leveraging Strong Aerospace Heritage

With a long aviation history, UK province continues to hit above its weight in the industry thanks to Bombardier’s role as catalyst.

By Ian Sheppard

July 19, 2018

Northern Ireland has a long history in aviation, with aircraft manufacturing starting in 1917. That's when renowned Belfast shipbuilder Harland & Wolff (H&W) built a DeHavilland DH-6. The company (which built the Titanic) went on to produce more than 600 aircraft, including Avro 504 trainers and some Handley Page V/1500 bombers. In 1918, Aldergrove, the site of the present international airport, was selected for test flying and for the production hangars. The first H&W-built V/1500 made its maiden flight from Aldergrove on Sept. 3, 1919, piloted by New Zealander Major Keith Park (later to become Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park, after commanding the RAF's crucial 11 Group Spitfires and Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain).

Henry George “Harry” Furguson (of Tractor manufacturing fame) was an aviation pioneer and is generally credited with making the first flight in Northern Ireland on Dec. 31, 1909 at Growell, County Down, in an aircraft he designed a built. [Some argue the earliest builder of an Irish aircraft was bicycle builder Joseph Cordner, who designed and built (and reportedly flew) monoplanes in 1908-12.] And there was also Lilian Bland, from Kent, who came to live in Northern Ireland, designing, building, and testing an aircraft in what is thought to be the first achievement of its kind by a woman.

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