Hurricane Aero Production Longbridge UK

The Austin Motor Company at Longbridge manufactured aircraft for the First and Second World Wars. This video shows the production of the Hurricane in 1942 and flight testing from its own airfield. For more information on aircraft production visit www.austinmemories.com

[@keithbissett]

Great film! My dad worked there during the war as a panel beater as a reserved occupation until 1944 when he got shipped out to india. He went back to work at the Austin in 1970 in body development. His last job there was to hand roll the first Austin princess bonnet!

[@RichardASK]

What a wonderful film. My Dad worked there before and after the War. He was away with the RAF during the war and used to fly Hurricanes, but I never knew that the 'kites' as he called them, he used to fly, may have been built at Longbridge. I worked there for a short time, after College, and all of us who lived nearby, knew about the 'flying ground'. Thank you for listing this.

[@typhoonhawker6548]

04:26 AP881 Hurricane Mk.IIB delivered to No.308MU in India. Force-landed after engine failure at Suathu ,near Allahabad ,India ,15Jan.1943. 05:14 AP870 Hurricane Mk.IIB to Russia ,21Sep.1942.

[@ruzphi]

Excellent historical video, thanks for posting

[@backpackerthrulife8497]

The efforts to make something so strong, so light.

[@jimlagos]

That test-pilot was amazing. They hadn't even tested engine or undercarraige etc. He just got in and flew it, AND landed! HSE would have a stiffy if they saw it happening now. In fact if HSE was around in the early 40s, we would never have had a chance!

[@mrrolandlawrence]

well back then there was an impetus to get things done and test pilots were lost. back then the aeroplanes were a lot simpler too.

[@michaelbevan3285]

@@mrrolandlawrence you can be sure that all of the testing of the undercarriage and flight controls was done,well before the pilot got anywhere near the aircraft. No pilot would accept a fresh aircraft with no sign-offs for critical ground testing,even in wartime.

[@abundantYOUniverse]

Fantastic. Love the plumb bob to set the rudder center!

[@jodeldk]

A great piece of film, thank you for uploading it.

[@austinguest5054]

Fantastic clip !! Thank you so much for sharing it!!

[@michaelmoore234]

My Dad was a flight mechanic in England on these , and he would always tell me the old saying of " don't panic flight mechanic " because the mechanic had to go up with the pilot and and to make sure the repair or improvement was going to work , toughest people the British , so love watching these hoping to catch a glance of my dad on the job back then.

[@RichardASK]

Might have been a bit difficult in a single seater!

[@elliottg.1954]

Is this Austin Aero Ltd at Cofton Hackett? They built Hurricanes as well as Stirlings. Notice the barrage balloons; they were all around Birmingham and presented serious hazards especially when hidden in clouds. If they missed a balloon they could still its wires. And some did.

[@geraldhutchins1023]

with out these people we wood have bean in big trouble god bless to them god bless brummies

[@RichardASK]

How very true and also the factory building Spitfires, over at Castle Bromwich.

[@ronaldhiggins7327]

Where did they get the music from? Loved it. Those were the days when Britain was a great industrial power producing much of her own war material. In the Falklands war it is said she had to buy over a billion dollars worth of American arms. Sigh ..!😞

[@davidmichaels8934]

A billion dollars of arms? No way, all the armed forces in the Falklands conflict, were equipped with British made arms and equipment.

[@bumpcage]

The winch mechanism for that aircraft lift is still there underground.

[@AndrzejVillan]

Under a house now I'm afraid.

[@stevengriffin7873]

Looks like an LR version with the fixed tanks as opposed to the paper tanks.

[@davidmorgan1059]

I think these were versions fitted out for delivery to Russia & one of these still exists in an aero museum in Moscow

[@owenwilliams9666]

When Britain used to actually make products.

[@bumpcage]

We are the 7th biggest manufacturer in the World

[@anthonygreen9157]

Most of that footage was taken in a building known in 2000 as "The flight shed"

[@weschaffin]

2nd sexiest plane only to the Spitfire.

[@ColinSantisuk]

Does anyone know where the airfield is? Is it Cofton Park?

[@bumpcage]

The runways were on top of the hill where the CAB is now

[@AndrzejVillan]

as the Hurricane comes up the ramp to the airfield, Cofton Park is to the left on the other side of Lowhill Lane, the Airfield is the area behind the current Q Gate.

[@RichardASK]

@@bumpcage Between Cab 1 and Cab 2. Sadly mostly gone now! We always knew it as the 'flying ground'.

[@scottsvxr]

So sad that Longbridge is unrecognisable now😌

[@mikespilligan6294]

Riveting!!

[@andrewmacgregor8717]

I was just noticing the lack of worker safety equipment and some sketchy safety standards. No eye or ear protection. No safety shoes (the girl working the press with soft toe slippers?) And the men wearing ties while working with, near to power equipment!?! That scares me as much as the Nazis!

[@pkrmkn31]

cheer up bud, thanks to the lack of safety standards back in the day we won the war and didn't get overtaken by nazis.

[@andrewmacgregor8717]

I was just noticing the lack of worker safety equipment and some sketchy safety standards. No eye or ear protection. No safety shoes (the girl working the press with soft toe slippers?) And the men wearing ties while working with, near to power equipment!?! That scares me as much as the Nazis!