When WW1 ended there was over production capabilities in all sectors of the manufacturing industry. John Siddeley of Deasy-Siddeley felt that a tie up with a larger company would ensure that his company would survive and  to this end he approached the Newcastle firm of Armstrong Whitworth suggesting that both companies should merge with each other. The outcome was the acquisition of Siddeley-Deasy by Armstrong Whitworth resulting a a new division being formed to produce motor cars and aero-engines, it was know as the Armstrong Siddeley Motor Company and  headed up by the formidable John Davenport Siddeley

 

Both companies had been involved in aircraft production during WW1, additionally Siddeley-Deasy had also produced thousands of areo-engines. Following the cessation of hostilities, Armstrong Whitworth announced that it saw no future in continuing to make aircraft and commenced the winding down of its facilities.

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In April 1920 Armstrong Siddeley Motors submitted to the Newcastle board a proposal the company "should continue aircraft work on a limited scale by forming a subsidiary company". The board agreed, and shortly afterwards, on a date not specifically noted, there came into existence The Sir W. G. Aircraft Co Ltd (AWA) as part of Armstrong Siddeley Motors.  By 1920 all former aircraft production was transferred from Newcastle to the Armstrong Siddeley Parkside

works in Coventry.

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Below you will find links to some of the more famous AW aircraft produced subsequent to 1919, the descriptions of the aircraft are not exhaustive in technical details but give a good general outline of them together with background and anecdotal insights into the aircraft and their flying history.

 

For full technical descriptions of these aircraft we recommend Oliver Tappers book " Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft since 1913", currently out of print but used copies are available from Amazon.

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Please click on the images below to to a full article on each aircraft

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