Napier-Heston fighter instead of Napier-Heston racer?

[tomo pauk]

2nd try: link

It works, just confirm on exit from this site.

 

[z42]

Heston also has not production facility to speak of. They built under 10 of that nice cabin plane in the space of several years, they built 1-2 rivals to the Chipmunk trainer and another 1-2 prototypes?they built around 40-50 single engine/single seat sportplanes in the early 30s, another 1-2 prototypes?
as the Comper Aircraft company at a different location.

As an aside, what was the economics of these small manufactures which there seemed to have been a zillion of? Even if they only sell a few planes, they still need a designer, draftmen(?), and actual people to do the building, pay rent for space etc. Was the markup on these early aircraft so huge that even a few aircraft per year could sustain such a small manufacturer? Or to an extent, I guess "aviation" was the "AI buzz" of the day, with financiers lining up to shovel money to any aviation startup that seemed even remotely competent (though I guess venture capital as we know it today didn't really exist back then?)? Or did they have some rich aristocrat as a benefactor in the background? Or the founders were all themselves rich aristocrats?

 

[Shortround6]

As an aside, what was the economics of these small manufactures which there seemed to have been a zillion of? Even if they only sell a few planes, they still need a designer, draftmen(?), and actual people to do the building, pay rent for space etc. Was the markup on these early aircraft so huge that even a few aircraft per year could sustain such a small manufacturer? Or to an extent, I guess "aviation" was the "AI buzz" of the day, with financiers lining up to shovel money to any aviation startup that seemed even remotely competent (though I guess venture capital as we know it today didn't really exist back then?)? Or did they have some rich aristocrat as a benefactor in the background? Or the founders were all themselves rich aristocrats?

More than one company went in and out of business at least once.
Lockheed went out of business in 1932 (?) for instance.

But it was very much a high stakes game, even on the flivver end of the market. On the low end the planes were mostly wood didn't require much in the way of tooling.
And many companies did sub-contracting during slow times for other companies. Even for competitors. Brewster at times made wings for Grumman biplanes.
The US was large enough so that there was some market for planes even during the depression.

I don't know much about the British market but in the US a lot of young men were "air minded".
My own father went to an "air school" in California after getting out of high school in Maine. His parents managed to pay for about 1 year were he learned how to make airplanes.
He then went to work for Sikorsky in Connecticut and later just down the road for Chance Vaught making Corsairs. He was an assembler.
But the job market in Maine was rather limited. Fisherman, potato or blueberry farmer or shoe maker

In some of the small companies the technology wasn't that far removed from WW I as far as construction went. And for 40-150hp 2 -4 seat high wing aircraft that were fabric covered most "designers" could stay out of trouble as long as they didn't try to get too tricky.

Also in the depression many 'air minded' communities offered deals to entrepreneurs in form of tax breaks and/or even deals on factory space once owned by other bankrupt companies.

The Taylorcraft company history glosses over a few things but gives the idea.

Taylorcraft Aircraft - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Even P & W aircraft has some "stories" about it's origin. Rarely known today Pratt & Whitney company goes back to 1860 and nothing to to with aircraft or even internal combustion engines until 1925. However they had an international reputation measuring tools, gauges and precision machinery. They still do.
The P & W company provided some money, space in their building (which also provided a bit of cover from creditors) and promise of more money if the engine was successful.
P & W aircraft parted ways with the Measuring tool company in 1929 but the engine company was allowed to keep P & W as part of the name. I don't know what the tool company got out of the deal in 1929.