APPH originally commenced operations during 1951 as
AP Precision Hydraulics (routinely shortened to
APPH), being the British
subsidiary of Automotive Products, Leamington Spa, England. At the time of its formation, the company was based on Shaw Road in
Speke. A core element of the business was its advanced engineering design division, which has performed the design, certification, test and support of
hydraulic systems and
landing gear for numerous aircraft, including helicopters,
fighter aircraft, civilian
airliners and
business jets. During 1986, APPH was approached by the British industrial interest
BBA Group, who sought to acquire the firm that specialised in aircraft
undercarriages and
hydraulics; at the time, BBA Group sought to diversify itself from its main operations as automotive supplier and viewed APPH as a strong gateway into the aerospace industry. In September 1987, the arrangements for BBA Group to purchase APPH were finalised with the ownership changing hands in exchange for £25 million (£ million current value). On 3 October 1995, the company formally begun trading under the name
APPH. As the firm acquired further businesses, such as Arnoni Aviation Services Inc., Airight Inc. and Trinity Aerospace, these companies also took on the APPH branding. During 2000, APPH established a new division focused upon aerospace filtration, the decision being heavily influenced by the awarding as contract by the British engine manufacturer
Rolls-Royce Holdings to supply all the fuel and oil filters for the new
Trent 500 turbofan engine. Prior to this reorganisation, APPH had been a long-established supplier of filters, such as those used in virtually every engine manufactured by Rolls-Royce in addition to the majority of aircraft produced by the various business based in the United Kingdom. Filter production had been originally carried out at the Leamington Spa site, being relocated to Tippinges Road, Bolton, as a consequence of the business' expansion. Various international military services, including the
US Army,
US Navy, and
US Air Force, have also contracted APPH to apply its specialist support for their fleets. Numerous first-rate aerospace manufacturers, such as
AgustaWestland and
Embraer, have appointed APPH to design and support the landing gear and associated systems of their aircraft. On 3 February 2014, the Canadian aerospace group
Héroux-Devtek Inc acquired APPH from
BBA Aviation, purchasing 100 percent of the share capital at a cost of US$124M. Prior to the acquisition, APPH was the sole British-owned landing gear specialist in operation. Activists daubed red paint on the exterior, dismantled drone and aircraft machinery and destroyed windows. ==Aircraft Landing Gear==