In addition to becoming a successful fiction writer Nevil Shute Norway, who designed the aircraft shown here, wrote a fascinating non-fiction account of his experiences in the British aircraft industry. Entitled "Slide Rule", it is highly recommended to those interested in this website. In addition to his experiences with Airspeed Ltd., he also discusses his earlier experiences with Vickers, where he worked on the design and construction of the airship R-100. His discussion of the R-100 and it's ill-fated competitor, the infamous R-101, coming as they do from one who was on the "inside" and was really privy to what was going on at the time, are highly enlightening.
John, e-mail, 17.07.2014 11:15
Around about 1956 when I was 10 years old the movie "On the Beach" frightened the life out of me. I have seen it a number of times since and it still does. Being set here in Australia it was of special significance to us and of course the screenplay was based on Mr Schute Norway's novel.
This led me to reading as many of his other novels as I could get my hands on, both fiction and non fiction. He seemed to have a love for us Aussies.
Barry, 04.01.2013 16:29
During the invasion of Czechoslovakia the Germans captured 5 Envoys 2 x MkI, 2 x MkII and one MkIII. The two MkI's were given German marks namely CM+SA and DM+SA. Later all the MKI's and MkII's were sold to FInland and the sole MkIII was sold to the puppet regime in Slovakia.
bill, e-mail, 20.07.2011 21:29
Read "Slide Rule" which is Nevils' autobiography which tells all about his creation of Airspeed and the planes they built. It is very good reading, just like his novels
Klaatu83, e-mail, 05.03.2011 03:55
Designed by Nevil Shute Norway, who later became a novelist, writing such well-known books as "On The Beach", "No Highway in the Sky" and "A Town Called Alice".
Wiktor, Harald, e-mail, 08.01.2011 19:32
Hallo, ich habe ein seltenes Foto einer Envoy oder Oxford aus Spanien (Civil-War Spanien 1936-1939) mit doppeltem Seitenleitwerk. Können Sie bei der Typbestimmung helfen oder Sendung per E-Mail?
Harald Wiktor
Robert Bear, e-mail, 05.06.2010 00:01
Check out the 1938 film: "Q-Planes" with Ralph Richardson and Lawrence Oliver. The Envoy played a pivotal role and an experimental aircraft that was supercharged and could better 300 mph...In your dreams!
