Supermarine

Also known as Pemberton-Billing Ltd, Supermarine Aviation Works Ltd, Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd, Vickers Supermarine

Supermarine (founded in 1913 as Pemberton-Billing Ltd) was a British aircraft manufacturer. It is most famous for producing the Spitfire fighter plane during World War II. The company built a range of seaplanes and flying boats, winning the Schneider Trophy for seaplanes with three consecutive victories (in 1927, 1929 and 1931). After the war, the company produced a series of jet fighters.

Key facts

Company.name: Supermarine Aviation Works
Company.image: Supermarine Aviation Ltd, Woolston.jpg
Company.image_size: 220
Company.image_alt: photo of company
Company.image_caption: Supermarine Aviation Ltd, Woolston, in 1924
Company.fate: Merged and name dropped
Company.successor: Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft)
Company.foundation: 1913 (as Pemberton-Billing Ltd.)
Company.defunct: 1960 (incorporation into BAC)
Company.location: Woolston
Company.industry: Aviation
Company.key_people: Noel Pemberton BillingR. J. MitchellHubert Scott-PaineJoe Smith

~62 min read

Article

33 sections

Contents

Pemberton-Billing Ltd
Founding
Early aircraft
World War I
Supermarine Aviation Works
Post World War I
Schneider Trophy 1919 to 1924
Bird takes over
Supermarine Southampton
Schneider Trophy 1925 to 1927
Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd
The Depression
Schneider Trophy 1929 and 1931
Walrus and Stranraer
Supermarine Spitfire
Increasing production capacity
Castle Bromwich
Heavy bomber
Death of Mitchell
World War II
Air raids
Complete dispersal of production
New designs
Post-World War II
Representation in media
Memorials
Reuse of the Supermarine name
Supermarine aircraft
Designs and submissions only
References
Sources
Further reading
External links

The company was located on the River Itchen close to Woolston, Southampton, on ground purchased by the British aviator and inventor Noel Pemberton Billing. He designed two prototype quadruplanes designed to shoot down Zeppelins—the Supermarine P.B.29 and the Supermarine Nighthawk. Pemberton Billing sold the company to his longtime associate Hubert Scott-Paine in 1916, when it was renamed Supermarine Aviation Works Ltd..