science

Society of British Aerospace Companies

Society of British Aerospace Companies is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Society of British Aerospace Companies rather than just read about it. In short: The Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC, formerly Society of British Aircraft Constructors) was the UK's national trade association representing companies supplying civil air transport, aerospace defence, homeland security and space. As of October 2009 SBAC merged with the Defence Manufacturers Association and the Association of Police and Public Security Suppliers to form the ADS Group.

Key takeaways

Society of British Aerospace Companies belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Society of British Aerospace Companies to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Society of British Aerospace Companies from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC, formerly Society of British Aircraft Constructors) was the UK's national trade association representing companies supplying civil air transport, aerospace defence, homeland security and space. As of October 2009 SBAC merged with the Defence Manufacturers Association and the Association of Police and Public Security Suppliers to form the ADS Group. The SBAC organises the Farnborough Airshow.

Representation With its regional partners, SBAC represents over 2,600 companies, assisting them in developing new business globally, facilitating innovation and competitiveness and providing regulatory services in technical standards and accreditation. Inside the organisation is the British Aviation Group and the UK Space Agency.

History

Formation On 29 March 1915 a number of British aircraft manufacturers and industrialists met to arrange a standards body and production pooling system known as the Society of British Aircraft Constructors. Notable among the aircraft participants were Herbert Austin, Frederick Handley Page, H.V. Roe of Avro, and E.B. Parker of Short Brothers. The group agreed to share their designs among a variety of 3rd party factories in order to be able to quickly produce new designs on demand. These factories joined ones being run by the government directly. In total over 40 companies joined the group when it officially formed on 23 March 1916.

Aircraft inspection In the post-war era the group expanded to include almost every aircraft company and those related to it—engine manufacturers, metal alloy companies, etc. Since this period they have often been referred to by acronym, SBAC. They were also instrumental in approaching Lloyd's of London to start the inspection and insurance of aircraft, which led to increased commercial aviation.

Trade and air shows In 1932 the group hosted a one-day air show and trade fair at the Hendon airfield in London on 19 June, the day after the annual RAF Hendon display. Similar one-day events were held for the next three years, but 1935 was the last Hendon RAF display. The SBAC show moved to de Havilland's Hatfield airfield in 1936 and 1937; the latter was both the first two-day SBAC show and the last before World War II. Immediately after the War it was held at Radlett, the home of Handley Page on 12–13 September, and early September became the regular date. In 1947 the show was again at Radlett with three flying days. In 1948 the meeting was moved to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough and was six days long with three flying days, setting the pattern for the future. The Farnborough shows were held annually as trade fairs for British manufacturers and with two public days, the Saturday and Sunday, throughout the 1950s. Crowds were large: on the last day, the Sunday of the 1954 show some 160,000 people attended. In 1962 the British-only rule was slightly relaxed by allowing the participation of foreign aircraft with British engines. 1962 was also the last of the annual shows, the next being held in 1964 and thenceforth biennially; in 1968 European manufacturers were invited. In 1974 the show accepted international participation and from 1978 it became known as the Farnborough International. Since 1964 the Farnborough has alternated with the Paris Air Show.

Name change The name changed from "Society of British Aircraft Constructors" to "Society of British Aerospace Companies" in 1964.

Affiliated organisations SBAC Scotland was formed in 2005.

SBAC aircraft designations

After WWII the SBAC introduced a designation system for British aircraft consisting of a two letter manufacturer code followed by a sequence number, with designations allocated as follows:-

Blackburn Aircraft Blackburn Y.A.1 The Blackburn B-48 Firecrest to Air Ministry Specification S.28/43. Blackburn Y.A.2 Design study only. Blackburn Y.A.3 Design study only. Blackburn Y.A.4 B-55 project for a Rolls-Royce Dart powered 24-seat commercial aircraft. Blackburn Y.A.5 Blackburn B-54 anti-submarine two-seater to Specification GR.17/45 with Napier Double Nomad. Blackburn Y.A.6 B-62 project for a Blackburn Firecrest with Armstrong Siddeley Python engine. Blackburn Y.A.7 Two-seater Y.A.5 with Rolls-Royce Griffon 56. Blackburn Y.A.8 Three-seater Y.A.5 with RR Griffon 56. Blackburn Y.A.9 The 1947 B-75 feeder-liner with two Blackburn Cirrus Majors or Blackburn Cirrus Bombardiers. Blackburn Y.B.1 Blackburn B-54 - the Y.A.8 with Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba turboprop engine. Blackburn Y.B.2 The Handley Page HP.88 research aircraft with Supermarine Attacker fuselage and Handley Page Victor scale model crescent wing. Blackburn Y.B.3 The B-103 Blackburn Buccaneer, to Specification NA.39, low-level strike aircraft.

Gloster Gloster G.A.1 Gloster E.1/44 "Gloster Ace" fighter (1948). Gloster G.A.2 A developed Gloster Ace. Gloster G.A.3 intended pre-production for GA.4 Gloster G.A.4 production ordered but not built Gloster G.A.5 Gloster Javelin interceptor fighter.

English Electric English Electric E.A.1 English Electric Canberra B Mk.1. English Electric E.A.2 English Electric Canberra PR Mk.3. English Electric E.A.3 English Electric Canberra B Mk.2. English Electric E.A.4 English Electric Canberra.

Saunders-Roe (confirmation required)

Saunders-Roe SR.A.1 S.44 flying boat fighter. Saunders-Roe SR.N.1 Hovercraft. Saunders-Roe SR.N.2 Hovercraft. Saunders-Roe SR.N.3 Hovercraft. Saunders-Roe SR.N.4 Hovercraft. Saunders-Roe SR.N.5 Hovercraft. Saunders-Roe SR.N.6 Hovercraft.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Society of British Aerospace Companies

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Society of British Aerospace Companies claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Society of British Aerospace Companies before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Society of British Aerospace Companies ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Society of British Aerospace Companies

In research: Society of British Aerospace Companies appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Society of British Aerospace Companies in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Society of British Aerospace Companies is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1915 establishments in the United Kingdom, Aircraft manufacturers of the United Kingdom, Aviation trade associations, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Society of British Aerospace Companies outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Society of British Aerospace Companies in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Society of British Aerospace Companies means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Society of British Aerospace Companies out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Society of British Aerospace Companies in simple terms?

Why does Society of British Aerospace Companies matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Society of British Aerospace Companies?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Society of British Aerospace Companies.