Samlesbury Aerodrome is a disused airfield at Balderstone near Samlesbury and Blackburn in Ribble Valley district of Lancashire. The aerodrome is owned by defence company BAE Systems which uses the site for the manufacture of several different aircraft. Currently the company employs approximately 3,000 people at the site. The aerodrome is part of Lancashire Enterprise Zone.
History
The origins of the site, which was once an active aerodrome, date back to 1922 when it was proposed that a municipal airfield be constructed to serve the nearby towns of Blackburn and Preston.
Construction did not commence on the airfield until April 1939, but was then accelerated by the Second World War, when the Air Ministry instructed English Electric (EE) to proceed with the construction of flight shed number 1. The first of the Handley Page Hampdens built by EE made its maiden flight on 22 February 1940. By 1942, 770 Hampdens had been delivered from Samlesbury.
In 1940, a second factory was built and the runway was extended so that construction of the Handley Page Halifax could begin. By 1945, all five main hangars and three runways had been completed, and by the end of the year a total of 2,145 Halifaxes had been produced at Samlesbury.
During the war, the site was also home to Hawker Hurricanes and Airspeed Oxfords that were operated by the Communications Flight of No. 9 Group RAF, whose headquarters were at the nearby Barton Hall. The airfield was only bombed once when a few incendiaries were dropped, some hitting the village of Balderstone.
From the last years of the war large-scale production of aircraft by EE at Samlesbury continued: de Havilland Vampire Various versions built under sub-contract 19441952, total 1,369
English Electric Canberra The first aircraft since the 1920s designed and built by English Electric. Built 19491959 and 1964, total 631 English Electric Lightning This was the only production site for the Lightning and its prototypes. Built 19531972, total 341 (including BAC production).
EE was involved in other work during this period. For example, they gained a contract to fit radar, radio and navigation equipment to 200 Avro Lincolns in the period from 1945 to 48. The site has also produced parts for aircraft including the Anglo-French Concorde and the ill-fated BAC TSR-2.
When English Electric merged in 1960 to become BAC and later British Aerospace (BAE), it worked closely with the nearby sister plant at BAE Warton, and the former BAE factory in Preston on building the SEPECAT Jaguar and Panavia Tornado fighter aircraft.
From the 1950s to the 1970s, as well as the aircraft production activities, the airfield was heavily engaged in the upgrade and refurbishment of English Electric aircraft, especially Canberras. Many aircraft passed through before redelivery to the RAF, or for onward sale to the air forces of, for example, Argentina, Rhodesia, India, Venezuela, Peru and Ethiopia. Many airframes were also scrapped here.
Samlesbury Engineering
Around 1943, Lancashire Aircraft Corporation (LAC) and its subsidiary Samlesbury Engineering were established at the airfield. As a Civilian Repair Organisation, they won contracts for repairing Bristol Beaufighters and Beauforts. After the war Samlesbury Engineering took over some of English Electric's buildings and, as well as producing parts for the aviation industry, was supporting the LAC Halifaxes and Haltons that were heavily involved in the Berlin Airlift in 1948–9. After this, Samlesbury Engineering diversified into building buses, coaches and trucks, but the business started to run down and they returned the hangars to English Electric and took over Burnley Aircraft Products, moving into their premises on the south side of the airfield. The latter company had assembled and tested Beauforts and Beaufighters at Samlesbury during the war and been involved in highly classified airborne radar testing with the Beaufighters.
With Samlesbury Engineering's specialist aviation and vehicle experience, in 1954 they built the turbojet-powered Bluebird K7 hydroplane for Donald Campbell's water speed record runs.
Light aircraft
Immediately after WW2, RAF No.1 Gliding School moved into Samlesbury, flying Slingsby Cadet TX.1 and TX.3, Grunau Baby and Sedburgh TX.1 gliders. This was disbanded in December 1949.