The de Havilland Engine Company was an offshoot of the de Havilland aircraft building company, which started life as the 'Engine Division of the de Havilland Aircraft Company' in 1926 producing the famous de Havilland Gipsy aero-engine.Gunston 1989, p.49. The company was merged with Bristol Siddeley (BSEL) engines in 1961 with BSEL subsequently becoming part of Rolls-Royce Limited in 1966.
History The company was officially formed at Stag Lane in February 1944 and later moved into a factory leased by the government in 1946 at Leavesden, which had earlier been a site for Handley Page Halifax production.Lumsden 2003, p.136. This is now the location of Leavesden Film Studios.
It went on to produce one of the early turbojet engines the de Havilland Goblin which saw service in the early post-war de Havilland Vampire fighter. The later Ghost turbojet propelled early versions of the de Havilland Comet jetliner and the de Havilland Venom fighter.
The company later developed the de Havilland Gnome turboshaft under licence from the General Electric T58 design, but the company was absorbed into Bristol Siddeley Engines Limited (BSEL) in 1961; Bristol Siddeley itself subsequently merged with Rolls-Royce Limited in 1966 and the merged company continued with the "Rolls-Royce" name.
Engines
Piston engines
de Havilland Ghost de Havilland Gipsy de Havilland Gipsy Minor de Havilland Gipsy Major de Havilland Gipsy Six de Havilland Gipsy Queen de Havilland Gipsy Twelve de Havilland Gipsy King
Turbojets de Havilland Ghost de Havilland Goblin de Havilland Gyron de Havilland Gyron Junior
Turboshafts de Havilland Gnome Rolls-Royce Gem
Rocket engines de Havilland Sprite de Havilland Super Sprite de Havilland Spectre
See also
References
Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. .
External links
British Jet Engine Website History of de Havilland