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Dowty Rotol

Rotol Airscrews originated in 1937 at temporary premises in Llanthony Road, Gloucester and was formed by Rolls Royce and Bristol Aircraft to take over both companies propellor developments, the company transferred to the new factory at Staverton at the end of 1937.

By 1959 Rotol Airscrews and British Messier along with Dowty Equipment and Dowty Fuel Systems became part of the new Dowty Aviation Division based at Cheltenham.

In 1960 Rotol Airscrews was acquired and became known as Dowty Rotol

By 1980 Dowty Rotol was the largest company in the Dowty Group Aerospace and Defence Division, they employed 3,800 and occupied 34,000m2 of offices, manufacturing workshops and ancillary services.

Dowty Rotol were manufacturers of aircraft accessory equipment, aircraft undercarriages, propellers, gearboxes, hydraulic systems and flying controls.

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  • A Servo Valve from Dowty

    A Servo Valve from Dowty

    An article reprinted from the magazine Aeroplane & Aeronautics about A Servo Valve from Dowty – Sep 1959
  • Air Turbine Driven Accessory Gearbox Data Sheet 2027

    Air Turbine Driven Accessory Gearbox Data Sheet 2027

    Dowty Rotol – Air Turbine Driven Accessory Gearbox Data Sheet 2027
  • An Engineer from Churchdown - A very British hero!

    An Engineer from Churchdown - A very British hero!

    An article from the Daily Mail by Geoffrey Wansell – March 2009 Shy, short-sighted and hating violence – a very British ...
  • Apprentice Prize Giving - Press Reports

    Apprentice Prize Giving - Press Reports

    Dowty Apprentices’ Prize Giving – November 1952 The third annual apprentices’ prize giving of Dowty Equipment, Ltd., took place at Arle ...
  • Apprentice Training Schools

    Apprentice Training Schools

    The majority, if not all Dowty sites had their own Apprentice Training Schools. This is where all Apprentices usually spent their ...
  • Bleed Air Turbines

    Bleed Air Turbines

    Dowty Rotol – Bleed Air Turbines
  • Boundless Opportunities at Dowty

    Boundless Opportunities at Dowty

    Attached is a promotional pamphlet featuring none other than me (Alan Martin), circa 1974. The large black and white photo was ...
  • Design Approval from Air Registration Board

    Design Approval from Air Registration Board

    Dowty Rotol Design Approval from Air Registration Board – Mar 1960
  • Dowty Apprentices - Projects & Events

    Dowty Apprentices - Projects & Events

    Dowty Apprentices occasionally got involved in some kind of “project” or “event”, this would involve a team of apprentices coming ...
  • Dowty Group - Chief Executive Awards for Excellence

    Dowty Group - Chief Executive Awards for Excellence

    Dowty Group Chief Executive Awards for Excellence
  • Dowty Group - US Product Brochure

    Dowty Group - US Product Brochure

    Dowty Group – US Product Brochure
  • Dowty Precision Castings - Organisation Charts

    Dowty Precision Castings - Organisation Charts

    Copies of Dowty Precision Castings Management Organisation Charts from the 1980’s
  • Dowty Propellers

    Dowty Propellers

    The business originated in 1937 as Rotol Airscrews Ltd., and was formed by Rolls-Royce and Bristol Aircraft to take over ...
  • Dowty Reorganisation Forecast -1959

    Dowty Reorganisation Forecast -1959

    Dowty Reorganisation Forecast – 8 May 1959 When Sir George Dowty presented prizes to Rotol apprentices on May 8 he said ...
  • Dowty Rotol - Company Profile

    Dowty Rotol - Company Profile

    Dowty Rotol – Company Profile
  • Dowty Rotol - Front Office Building Refurbishment

    Dowty Rotol - Front Office Building Refurbishment

    Dowty Rotol – Front Office Building Refurbishment In 1990 the iconic white Front Office building and adjacent red brick buildings were ...
  • Dowty Rotol - IME 1952

    Dowty Rotol - IME 1952

    An article about Dowty Rotol which featured in their company reference manual, produced by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in ...
  • Dowty Rotol - Newsletter September 1983

    Dowty Rotol - Newsletter September 1983

    Dowty Rotol – Newsletter September 1983
  • Dowty Rotol - Newsletter September 1989

    Dowty Rotol - Newsletter September 1989

    Dowty Rotol – Newsletter September 1989
  • Dowty Rotol - Newsletters

    Dowty Rotol - Newsletters

    Copies of Dowty Rotol “Newsletters” issued to employees
  • Dowty Rotol - Newspaper Clippings

    Dowty Rotol - Newspaper Clippings

    Copies of Dowty Rotol newspaper clippings that appeared in local and national papers between 1955-59
  • Dowty Rotol - Non Destructive Test Dept

    Dowty Rotol - Non Destructive Test Dept

    Dowty Rotol Non Destructive Test Dept 1988 Photographs submitted by Andy Bond-Thorley
  • Dowty Rotol - Organisation Charts

    Dowty Rotol - Organisation Charts

    Copies of Dowty Rotol Management Organisation Charts Apologies for the poor quality of some charts – all originals can be viewed ...
  • Dowty Rotol - People

    Dowty Rotol - People

    Photographs of the people who used to work at Dowty Rotol Our thanks to all those who shared their photos
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