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Basil B. Henderson (1902-1955) was on the technical staff of AV Roe in 1924-28. In 1928, he formed the Hendy Aircraft Company along with HA Miles (who had worked in the stress office at Avro). Initially, Hendy Aircraft was based out of a small shed at the Shoreham Aerodrome, Brighton. Henderson and Miles were the only full-time staff.
Hendy aircraft were all designed by Henderson with HA Miles performing stress work.* An early association was with Edgar Percival who first flew the Hobo (Oct 1929) and, as a customer, ordered the work on the Hendy 302.
There was also a long association between Henderson and George Parnall. The Hendy 302 was built by George Parnall & Company Limited at Yate (outside Bristol). It was also intended that the 1931 Hendy 311 project would be built by Parnall.
In 1935, the Hendy Aircraft Company was acquired by Aero Syndicate Ltd which had also bought up Kingston upon Thames-based Nash and Thompson (makers of Frazer Nash turrets). Both firms were then sold on to Parnall along with all assets, patents, etc. The resulting new firm was entitled the Parnall Aircraft Ltd.
At Parnall, Henderson continued work on aircraft designs which, at first, retained the Hendy name. However, the Parnall name would later be applied to the prototype 3308 Heck and its production variant. The Parnall 382, a Heck military trainer derivative, was Henderson's last aircraft design (and the last aircraft built by Parnalls).
During WW2, Basil Henderson focused on Frazer Nash turrets. That must have brought his work to the attention of Frazer Nash's main rival, for he moved to Boulton Paul Aircraft in 1950 to co-ordinate "sales of powered controls and other hydraulic devices. That experience with hydraulics led Henderson to the Denison Engineering Company of Columbus, Ohio, in 1953.**
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* According to a letter to Flight by EW Percival after Henderson's death in 1955. (In the same edition, WEW Petter acknowledged that Westlands constructing the Hendy Heck prototype influenced his wing design for the Lysander.)
Flight 9 Dec 1955, pg 878
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1955/1955%20-%201755.html
** From Henderson's obituary in Flight, 25 Nov 1955
http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1955/1955%20-%201676.PDF
_______________________
Hendy aircraft were all designed by Henderson with HA Miles performing stress work.* An early association was with Edgar Percival who first flew the Hobo (Oct 1929) and, as a customer, ordered the work on the Hendy 302.
There was also a long association between Henderson and George Parnall. The Hendy 302 was built by George Parnall & Company Limited at Yate (outside Bristol). It was also intended that the 1931 Hendy 311 project would be built by Parnall.
In 1935, the Hendy Aircraft Company was acquired by Aero Syndicate Ltd which had also bought up Kingston upon Thames-based Nash and Thompson (makers of Frazer Nash turrets). Both firms were then sold on to Parnall along with all assets, patents, etc. The resulting new firm was entitled the Parnall Aircraft Ltd.
At Parnall, Henderson continued work on aircraft designs which, at first, retained the Hendy name. However, the Parnall name would later be applied to the prototype 3308 Heck and its production variant. The Parnall 382, a Heck military trainer derivative, was Henderson's last aircraft design (and the last aircraft built by Parnalls).
During WW2, Basil Henderson focused on Frazer Nash turrets. That must have brought his work to the attention of Frazer Nash's main rival, for he moved to Boulton Paul Aircraft in 1950 to co-ordinate "sales of powered controls and other hydraulic devices. That experience with hydraulics led Henderson to the Denison Engineering Company of Columbus, Ohio, in 1953.**
_______________________
* According to a letter to Flight by EW Percival after Henderson's death in 1955. (In the same edition, WEW Petter acknowledged that Westlands constructing the Hendy Heck prototype influenced his wing design for the Lysander.)
Flight 9 Dec 1955, pg 878
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1955/1955%20-%201755.html
** From Henderson's obituary in Flight, 25 Nov 1955
http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1955/1955%20-%201676.PDF
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