BRISTOL

The Bristol Aeroplane Company, formerly known as the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was a British aerospace manufacturer that played a significant role in the aviation industry. The company designed and manufactured both airframes and aircraft engines, producing notable aircraft such as the Boxkite, Bristol Fighter, Bulldog, Blenheim, Beaufighter, and Britannia. Considerable work that led to the development of Concorde was carried out by the company. The Bristol Aeroplane Company split into Bristol Aircraft and Bristol Aero Engines in 1956. The former merged with other British aviation companies in 1959 to form the British Aircraft Corporation, while the latter merged with Armstrong Siddeley to form Bristol Siddeley. BAC later became a component of British Aerospace, now known as BAE Systems. Rolls-Royce acquired Bristol Siddeley in 1966 and continued to develop and market Bristol-designed engines. The company was founded in February 1910 by Sir George White, who recognized the economic potential of the aviation industry. The Bristol Aeroplane Company was located in Filton, approximately four miles north of Bristol city centre. Today, the site is still home to BAE Systems, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, MBDA, and GKN.