Hamble Aerostructures

Hamble Aerostructures can trace its origin back to 1936 when British Marine Aircraft Limited were established at Hamble on the south coast of England to build the S42A flying boat under license from Sikorsky.

The company bought Sydney lodge at Hamble, a late 18th century mansion, together with Cliff House for its access to Southampton Water.  A large factory was built with a slipway. The plan of flying boat manufacture was never realized, and the company was re-financed and re-launched in 1937 as Folland Aircraft Ltd., taking its name from the Engineer Henry Folland who was then Technical Director of British Marine Aircraft Ltd.

Hamble was soon a major supplier of airframe assemblies for Supermarine, Vickers, Shorts and de Havilland as the UK entered WW2. Sub-contract work continued throughout the war but when peace came the orders fell away. The Company diversified into furniture, refrigerators, light electric trucks and prefabricated aluminium houses! However, aircraft work soon returned with design and manufacture of the Bristol Brabazon’s control surfaces. Further major sub-contract work followed from many other companies including de Havilland and Bristol.

W E W Petter succeeded Henry Folland as Managing Director when he retired in 1951. It was then that Hamble’s association with light-weight fighters began.

The first fighter was the Viper powered Fo139 Midge which was flown for the first time in 1954. The Bristol Orpheus powered Fo141 Gnat flew in 1955. This early version was bought by Finland and Yugoslavia with India buying 25 direct from Hamble and building 235 in Bangalore. In the UK it was the two-seat Gnat, the Fo144 TMk1, that served with the RAF, with 105 aircraft built as advanced jet trainers between 1959 and 1964. The Gnat became famous at air displays being flown by the Yellowjacks and their successors, the Red Arrows.

In 1959 Hawker Siddeley Aviation (HSA) bought Folland and Hamble went on to manufacture Avro 748 wings, Harrier wings, front and rear fuselages, tail units, fins and canopies. In the 1970s work continued on the Harrier along with Trident wings and tailplane.

Within Hawker Siddeley the Hawk trainer was developed for the RAF to replace the Gnat and Hunter. Hamble went on to build Hawk canopies and windscreens, a technology in which they were now world class, together with nose cones and rear fuselages. Harrier front and rear fuselages, canopies and windscreens were also manufactured during this period.

In 1977 British Aerospace (BAe) was formed and Hamble became part of the Military Division. In the 1980s, export Hawk and T-45 Goshawk assemblies were added to the shop as well as USMC AV-8B rear fuselages. Hamble also manufactured role equipment for all BAe aircraft, and wing parts for the Airbus A300/A310, the BAe146 and the BAe ATP engine cowlings. The Red Arrows replaced their Gnat aircraft with T Mk 1 Hawks, which they fly to this day.

 When BAe was privatized in 1981, Hamble remained part of the Military Aircraft Division but in 1989 was renamed as Aerostructures Hamble Ltd. becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of BAe plc and part of the newly formed BAe Enterprises.

In the 1990s new contracts were won on the C-17, the MD80 and 90, Boeing 737NG, the Airbus Super Beluga, the Eurofighter and Tornado together with continuing Hawk and Sea Harrier work.

The wide product capability continued to expand and embrace metallic and composite aerostructures (i.e. wing sub-assemblies, control surfaces, tail units, nacelles, doors), military role equipment (i.e. pylons, tanks, mission pods, gun pods, flight refueling probes), and military aircraft canopies and windscreens. Composite work also included McLaren Mercedes and Koenigsegg ‘supercar’ body tubs and shells.

In 1992 there was a management buy-out, followed by several acquisitions over the next 15 years as UK aerospace consolidated. By the time that GE Aerospace acquired the Smiths Group (then including Hamble) the company had been in continuous operation for 71 years and possessed a broad aero capability and customer base across civil and military fields.

During this period Hamble had expanded from reliance on BAe work to a range of other major Aerospace customers across both civil and military markets.

GE owned the business from 2007 to 2020 when it was acquired by Aernnova. GE’s legacy was a multi-million-dollar composite manufacturing facility and a contract for the fixed trailing edge of the A350-900 and 1000. The company retains many of the military programs it has worked on over the years and very much sees its future in that sector of the market. It’s blend of composite, metallic fabrication, machining plus treatments, surface finishing and final assembly are highly sought after.

A Modern Chapter: Strategic Defense Focus Under Aernnova

Today, Hamble Aerostructures is part of Aernnova, following its acquisition from GE in 2020. This transition marked a new chapter — one that aligns Hamble’s deep-rooted manufacturing excellence with a renewed strategic emphasis on the defense sector, particularly in the light-weight trainer aircraft segment.

At the heart of Hamble’s current defense strategy is its involvement with Aeralis, the UK’s only sovereign initiative aimed at developing a next-generation modular jet trainer. Hamble has already delivered the initial detail design for Aeralis’ Common Core Fuselage, placing it at the forefront of a project poised to redefine how air forces train their pilots. This platform also represents the only UK contender to replace the iconic Hawk in the Red Arrows fleet — a fitting continuation of Hamble’s legacy with light jet aircraft.

This focus is underpinned by Hamble’s integrated capability in composite and metallic aerostructures — covering design, fabrication, treatment, surface finishing, and final assembly — which remains highly sought after by both civil and defense customers.

Current Military Programs

Hamble retains key military programs and continues to support aircraft including the AV-8B, T-45 Goshawk, and various Airbus defense platforms. It also remains a crucial supplier on the Airbus A350 program, manufacturing the fixed trailing edge assemblies for the -900 and -1000 variants. These are produced in Hamble’s state-of-the-art composite manufacturing facility, the legacy investment from the GE era.

Additionally, Hamble is actively supporting UK Government engagement in its defense programs through Aerteam, a collaborative British industrial group advocating for the Aeralis platform. This engagement strengthens the UK’s sovereign capability in light trainer aircraft, an area of growing strategic importance.

Looking Ahead

With nearly 90 years of aerospace experience, Hamble Aerostructures today stands not just as a historical site, but as a modern strategic partner in defense innovation. Its role in next-generation platforms like Aeralis, combined with its composite manufacturing excellence and broad aerostructure expertise, position the company as a vital contributor to both the UK’s industrial base and the global defense aerospace landscape.

As global defense needs evolve — with an emphasis on modularity, sustainability, and sovereign capability — Hamble Aerostructures is uniquely placed to deliver on all three fronts.

Some data