Editing ADC Aircraft

{{Short description|British firm that sold surplus aircraft after World War I}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox company 
|name = Aircraft Disposal Company (Airdisco)<br>ADC Aircraft
|logo =
|fate = Wound up
|successor = 
|foundation = 1920
|defunct =  1930
|location = 
|industry = Aviation
|key_people =[[Frederick Handley Page]], [[Frank Halford]]
|products = 
|num_employees = 
|parent = 
|subsid =
}}

The '''Aircraft Disposal Company''' (ADC), or '''Airdisco''', was a British firm established in March 1920 to take advantage of the large number of [[World War I]]-surplus military aircraft on the market.<ref name="Gunston p.7">Gunston 2005, p.7.</ref> The company changed name in 1925 to ADC Aircraft Limited.

==History==
In 1920 the British government, through the [[Disposal and Liquidation Commission]] of the [[Ministry of Munitions]], sold the entire stock of surplus aircraft, aero-engines and related equipment held in the United Kingdom to the Imperial and Foreign Corporation Limited.<ref name="time42360">{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Terms of Surplus Aircraft Sale |date=16 March 1920 |page=16 |issue=42360 }}</ref> The sale included more than 10,000 aircraft and 35,000 aero-engines, for the sum of £1,000,000 plus a 50% share of any profits.<ref name="Barnes p26-7">Barnes 1976, pp. 26–27.</ref>  The Imperial and Foreign Corporation formed the Aircraft Disposal Company to sell the equipment and to take over the management of the storage organisation and the large aircraft depots throughout the country.<ref name="time42360" /> The [[Handley Page|Handley Page Company]] were appointed sole managing and selling agents for ADC although problems with the financial arrangement soon put Handley Page at risk and the agreement was made in March 1921 between Handley Page Limited, [[Frederick Handley Page]] and ADC to stop ADC liquidating the Handley Page Company.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Company Meetings – Handley Page Limited |date=26 June 1922 |page=21 |issue=43067 }}</ref>

The former military aircraft were converted to various civil roles before being sold on while others were sold to military buyers. By 1925, it had sold 2,000 airframes and 3,000 engines, generating profits of over £2,500,000, of which half was returned to the British [[HM Treasury|Treasury]].<ref name="Barnes p27">Barnes 1976, p.27.</ref>

The company had several sites across Britain including {{convert|11|acre|m2}} of [[Regent's Park]] in London known as Marylebone Green. Three of the [[National Aircraft Factory|National Aircraft Factories]] became part of the Aircraft Disposal Company including Aintree in Liverpool, Waddon in Croydon, and at Stockport near Manchester.

The company became known as "Airdisco" from its [[telegraphic address]], "Airdisco, London".

In 1926 eight A.D.C.1 fighters (developed from the [[Martinsyde Buzzard]]) were delivered to Latvia.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.aviastar.org/air/england/martinsyde_adc-1.php | title=Martinsyde A.D.C.1 - fighter }}</ref>

The company had offices at Regent House, 89 Kingsway London WC2. 

The company name was changed to ADC Aircraft Limited in 1925 and was finally wound up in 1930.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.scripoworld.com/records/united-kingdom/england/aircraft-disposal-company-ltd/ | title=Aircraft Disposal Company LTD. - Scripoworld }}</ref>

==Aircraft==
*[[Airdisco Phi-Phi]]
*A.D.C.1 ([[Martinsyde Buzzard]])

==Aircraft engines==
The company produced a small range of aircraft engines under the direction of [[Frank Halford]], the 'Cirrus' line continued to be manufactured by [[Cirrus Engine|Cirrus Aero Engines Ltd]] and their successors.<ref>Lumsden 2003, p.54.</ref>
*[[ADC Airdisco]]
*[[ADC Cirrus]]
*[[ADC Nimbus]]
*[[ADC Airsix]]

==See also==
{{aircontent
|see also=

<!-- relevant lists that this company appears in: -->
|lists=
*[[List of aircraft engine manufacturers]]
}}

==References==
===Citations===
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin}}
*Barnes, C.H. ''Handley Page Aircraft since 1907''. London: Putnam, 1976. {{ISBN|978-0-370-00030-5}}.
*[[Bill Gunston|Gunston, Bill]]. ''World Encyclopedia of Aircraft Manufacturers''. Stroud, UK:Sutton Publishing, 2nd Edition, 2005. {{ISBN|0-7509-3981-8}}.
* Lumsden, Alec. ''British Piston Engines and their Aircraft''. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. {{ISBN|1-85310-294-6}}.
{{refend}}

{{ADC aeroengines}}
{{Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom}}

[[Category:Business services companies established in 1920]]
[[Category:Defunct aircraft engine manufacturers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1920 establishments in England]]
[[Category:British companies disestablished in 1930]]
[[Category:1930 disestablishments in England]]
[[Category:British companies established in 1920]]
[[Category:ADC aircraft engines| ]]