GKN Aerospace, which made parts for the famous Spitfire aircraft here on the Isle of Wight, has stepped up to support the return to flight of the historic plane that was shot down in WWII.
More than 80 years ago, GKN supplied fuselage frames and system components for Spitfire AA810 from its facility in East Cowes. Once restored to flight in 2024, the aircraft will be used by the Sandy Gunn Aerospace Careers Programme to promote engineering careers and inspire future generations into the aerospace industry.
GKN has been a UK industrial champion for more than 260 years and during the 1930s and 1940s, 1,000 Spitfires rolled off its Hadley Castle production line, near Telford. It also made Spitfire components at its East Cowes facility, just 7 miles from Sandown Airport on the Isle of Wight, where Spitfire AA810 is being restored today.
The company’s £500,000 donation will support the restoration of its fuselage structure, as well as the wing spars, leading edges and the wing ribs, with apprentices on the Isle of Wight getting directly involved in the project, working on the machined components of the storied aircraft.
Spitfire AA810 Restoration Ltd was launched in 2018 with the aim of returning Alastair ‘Sandy’ Gunn’s historic aircraft to flight. The associated charitable education arm – the Sandy Gunn Aerospace Careers Programme – was launched a year later in 2019, just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
Garry Hernes, Site Director of GKN Aerospace’s East Cowes facility, said:
“GKN Aerospace’s history is entwined with this remarkable story, having originally made components for this aircraft more than 80 years ago here on the Isle of Wight. We are extremely proud of our heritage and the pioneering spirit of our industry, and Spitfire AA810 captures that perfectly.
“What excites me most, however, is what it can do for the future. With our own apprentices working on this aircraft, and through the charity’s outreach to schools, we can inspire the next generation of aerospace engineers.”
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Tony Hoskins and Dr Michael Smith, co-directors of Spitfire Restoration Ltd and co-trustees of the Sandy Gunn Aerospace Careers Programme Charity, said:
“Given their shared history, GKN Aerospace is the ideal partner in this iconic project and educational programme which, together, revives the past and inspires the future. We are delighted to welcome them to this exciting collaboration that we firmly believe will be extremely beneficial all round – from the young people concerned, to the UK aerospace industry, economy and wider society.”
Once completed the aircraft will make a return flight to Norway, and will attend air shows in Wanaka, New Zealand, and Oshkosh, in the USA. The aircraft is expected to be based with the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden airfield, near Bedford, where it will be available to the public.
Hang On, During WW2 GKN were still making nuts and bolts in the ‘black country’ and no doubt some were used in the assembly of Spitfires, some of their factories were also taken over for Spitfire production but the East Cowes factories making recognisable parts for Spitfires were Saunders-Roe Ltd
3 cheers for parasitic, big corporations feeding off the hard work, sacrifice and skill of others! Hip hip!…. HOORAY!!!… Hip hip!…. HOORAY!!!… Hip Hip!….. HOORAY!!!….
3 cheers for parasitic, big corporations feeding off the hard work, sacrifice and skill of others! Hip hip!…. HOORAY!!!… Hip hip!…. HOORAY!!!… Hip Hip!….. HOORAY!!!….
If you want to see the real unspoken heroes behind this project, find out about Airframe Assemblies LTD. A genuine company! Then you will find out about the team responsible for doing all the work on this important project. Not one mention of Airframe Assemblies makes this article disrespectfull! GKN have not had one iota of an input on the actual project, other than flaunting the cash and claiming “LOOK AT MEEEEE!!!”
Quite. Give credit where credit is due, in other words the excellent work carried out by Airframe Assemblies. GKN Aerospace, born of Westlands, born of Saunders Roe of the large flying boats if I remember correctly.