Handley Page Ltd.

  June 1909 to March 1970

  United Kingdom

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TYPE: Aircraft manufacturer

IATA/ICAO CODES: -- / ---

HEADQUARTERS: Radlett, UK

FORMER NAME: Nil

SUBSEQUENT NAME: Scottish Aviation (assets taken over)

Handley Page Ltd. was founded on 17 June 1909 at Radlett Aerodrome in Hertfordshire by Sir Frederick Handley Page, a pioneer aviation industrialist. Handley Page was noted during WWI for its role in the development of early heavy bombers. After building several transport designes during the interwar period, Handley Page contributed to the WWII war effort with the HP.52 Hampden and HP.57 Halifax bombers. Following the war, the company produced various indigenous designs such as the HP.74 Hermes airliner, the HP.89 Hastings military transport, the HP.80 Victor strategic bomber and the HPR.7 Dart Herald regional airliner.

During the 1960's, Handley Page resisted government pressure to merge British aircraft manufacturers into larger entities. As it found itself competing against Hawker Sidelley and the British Aircraft Corporation, and with no more government orders, Handley Page eventually went into voluntary liquidation in March 1970. Its last production aircraft, the successful HP.137 Jetstream regional airliner, was taken over by Scottish Aviation, later intergrated into British Aerospace in 1977.

July 1966 to October 1967

Sadia of Brazil traded in one Commando as partial payment for the purchase of eight new HPR.7 Dart Heralds. Apart from the C-55 prototype, that aircraft was the sole Commando to ever receive a British registration. However, it was not imported, and sold back to another South American operator instead.

• Curtiss C-46A-60-CK Commando: G-ATXV