Dowty Rotol is a British manufacturing company based in Cheltenham manufacturing propellers.
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History
The Company was formed as Rotol Airscrews in 1937 by Rolls-Royce and Bristol Engines to take over both company's propeller development,[1] the market being too small to really need more than one company in this space. The name is a contraction of "ROlls-Royce" and "BrisTOL".[1] Rotol props were always considered leading edge, their models equipping the Hawker Hurricane, Supermarine Spitfire, and many other Second World War-era aircraft.[1] By the end of the war they had introduced the first five-bladed propeller to see widespread use, used on late-model Spitfires.
In 1960 the Company merged with Dowty Equipment and continued as a subsidiary of what became Dowty Group.[1]
In 1968 the company introduced the first fibreglass propellers, which went on to see widespread use.[1] Since then they have migrated to carbon fibre, and remain a leader in propeller design.
Operations
Dowty's current propeller lineup is used on many turboprop feederliners, including the Dash 8Q400, Saab 340 and Saab 2000, as well as turboprop transport aircraft such as the latest models of the C-130J and Alenia C-27. Dowty Propellers can also be found on military LCAC's from the USMC and other militaries. The National Air and Space museums' Udvar Hazy Center Virginia has one such propeller example (C130J) presently on display.
Ownership
Dowty Rotol continues to produce propellers and propeller accessories as part of GE Aviation Systems.
See also
References
External links
- Information and pictures: Dowty Propellers plant in Gloucester, UK, from Smiths Aerospace web site.
- GE Aviation - Dowty propellers
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