Martinsyde

The company was first formed in 1908 as a partnership between H.P. Martin and George Handasyde and is known as Martin & Handasyde. Their No.1 monoplane was built in 1908–1909 and succeeded in lifting off the ground before being wrecked in a gale. They went on to build a succession of largely monoplane designs although it was a biplane, the S.1 of 1914, that turned Martin-Handasyde into a successful aircraft manufacturer. In 1915 they renamed the company Martinsyde Ltd, and it became Britain's third largest aircraft manufacturer during World War One, with flight sheds at Brooklands and a large factory in nearby Woking. ==Martinsyde Motorcycles==

Martinsyde began manufacturing motorcycles in 1919 after buying the rights to engine designs by Howard Newman, which included a 350 cc single and a 677 cc V-twin with an unusual exhaust-over-inlet layout. Martinsyde was experimenting with new designs, including valve gear controlled by leaf springs, when its Woking factory was destroyed by a fire in 1922, forcing the company into liquidation after producing over 2,000 motorcycles. Martinsyde's motorcycle manufacturing rights were purchased by Bat Motor Manufacturing Co. Ltd, which produced a number of twin-cylinder motorcycles in 1924 and 1925 before ending production. ==Martinsyde aircraft==

Martinsyde-designed aircraft included: • Martin-Handasyde No.3 – sports aircraft, 1910 • Martinsyde S.1 – single-seat scout, 1914 • G100 and G102 "Elephant" – scout aircraft 1915 onwards, 171 • Martinsyde RG • Martinsyde F.1 • Martinsyde F.2 • Martinsyde F.3 – private venture design with the Rolls-Royce Falcon engine, only a few produced due to lack of available engines • Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard – fighter, the F.3 with a Hispano-Suiza engine • Martinsyde Semiquaver – racing aircraft A number of surplus Buzzard airframe were later built up with a new engine, the radial Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar, by the Aircraft Disposal Company (ADC) and sold as the "Martinsyde ADC.1" in 1924. A development of the F.4 was also made by the ADC: two "ADC Nimbus" were produced as prototypes. The company also manufactured the BE.2c and S.E.5a aircraft under sub-contract. ==References==