Society of British Aerospace Companies facts for kids

The Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) was an important group in the UK. It represented companies that worked with airplanes, space, and security. These companies made things for civil air travel, defense, and even space exploration. In October 2009, the SBAC joined with two other groups, the Defence Manufacturers Association and the Association of Police and Public Security Suppliers. Together, they formed a new organization called the ADS Group.

The SBAC was also famous for organizing the Farnborough Airshow. This is a huge event where new aircraft and aerospace technologies are shown off.

What the SBAC Did

The SBAC worked with many partners across different regions. It represented over 2,600 companies in total. The group helped these companies find new business around the world. It also encouraged new ideas and helped companies stay competitive. The SBAC also made sure companies followed technical rules and standards. Inside the SBAC, there were other important groups. These included the British Aviation Group and the UK Space Agency.

How the SBAC Started

Early Days: Forming the Society

On March 29, 1915, several British airplane makers and business leaders met. They wanted to create a group to set standards and share how they made things. This new group was called the Society of British Aircraft Constructors. Famous people like Herbert Austin and Frederick Handley Page were part of it. H.V. Roe from Avro and E.B. Parker from Short Brothers also joined.

The group decided to share their airplane designs. This way, different factories could quickly build new planes when needed. These factories worked alongside government-run factories. More than 40 companies joined the group when it officially started on March 23, 1916.

Making Air Travel Safer

After World War I, the group grew even more. It included almost every company involved with aircraft. This meant engine makers, metal companies, and more. From this time, people often called the group by its shorter name, SBAC.

The SBAC also played a big part in making commercial flights safer. They worked with Lloyd's of London to start inspecting and insuring aircraft. This helped more people feel safe flying.

Air Shows and Trade Fairs

In 1932, the SBAC held a one-day air show and trade fair. It took place at the Hendon airfield in London on June 19. This was the day after the yearly RAF Hendon display. Similar one-day events happened for the next three years.

After 1935, the RAF Hendon display stopped. So, the SBAC show moved to de Havilland's Hatfield airfield in 1936 and 1937. The 1937 show was the first to last two days. It was also the last show before World War II.

Right after the war, the show was held at Radlett on September 12–13. This became the usual time for the show. In 1947, the Radlett show had three days of flying displays. In 1948, the event moved to Farnborough. It lasted six days with three flying days. This set the pattern for future shows.

The Famous Farnborough Airshow

The Farnborough shows happened every year throughout the 1950s. They were trade fairs for British manufacturers. There were also two public days, Saturday and Sunday. Many people came to these shows. For example, about 160,000 people attended the last day of the 1954 show.

In 1962, the rule about only British aircraft was changed a little. Foreign planes with British engines could now take part. 1962 was also the last year the show happened annually. After that, it was held every two years, starting in 1964. In 1968, European manufacturers were invited to join. By 1974, the show welcomed participants from all over the world. From 1978, it became known as Farnborough International. Since 1964, the Farnborough show has taken turns with the Paris Air Show.

Changing the Name

The group's name changed in 1964. It went from "Society of British Aircraft Constructors" to "Society of British Aerospace Companies."

SBAC Aircraft Naming System

After World War II, the SBAC created a system for naming British aircraft. It used a two-letter code for the manufacturer. Then, a sequence number followed. This helped keep track of different aircraft designs.

For example, for Blackburn Aircraft, their designs started with "Y.A." or "Y.B." followed by a number. The Blackburn Buccaneer, a low-level strike aircraft, was known as Blackburn Y.B.3.

Gloster aircraft used "G.A." followed by a number. The famous Gloster Javelin fighter was Gloster G.A.5.

English Electric aircraft used "E.A." For example, the English Electric Canberra bomber had designations like E.A.1, E.A.2, E.A.3, and E.A.4.

Saunders-Roe aircraft used "SR." followed by a letter and number. The Saunders-Roe SR.A.1 was a flying boat fighter. Their hovercraft designs were named SR.N.1, SR.N.2, and so on.

Shorts aircraft used "S.A.", "S.B.", "S.C.", or "S.D." followed by a number. The Short Belfast heavy transport plane was Shorts S.C.5. The Short Skyvan transport was Shorts S.C.7.

Westland Aircraft used "WA" followed by a number.

Related Groups

SBAC Scotland was a group formed in 2005. It was connected to the main SBAC.

See also

• UK Space Agency
• Royal Aeronautical Society