F. Hills & Sons Ltd. (Hillson)

1940s

F. Hills & Sons Ltd. were a woodworking company from Stockton-on-Tees who had moved into the former Ford Motor Company's Model 'T' factory in Trafford Park between Westinghouse Road and First Avenue.

A group of employees built a 'Flying Flea' aeroplane which made at least one test flight from Barton. Though the flight terrified all those concerned and confined their effort and aeroplane to the annals of history it alerted W.R. Chown the Director of F. Hills, to the potential demand for a small inexpensive light aeroplane and so the company obtained a licence to build the two seat Czechoslovakian Praga aeroplane.

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(Monochrome Photograph Middle Left) - Hillson Praga

Marketed as the Hillson Praga it was powered by a 36hp engine built by Jowett Cars Ltd. The first flight was at Barton on 24th May 1936 and though 35 were made in Trafford Park and flown at Barton but it did not achieve the expected sales to private owners.

Hills also went on to produce single examples of the Hillson Pennine and the Hillson Helvellyn before the war curtailed any further of civilian low-cost aeroplanes.

With the outbreak of WW2 F. Hills produced wooden components for the Avro Anson and also set up a new company called Hills-Jablo to produce composite wood, rubber and metal aircraft propellors.

During WW2 F. Hills constructed over 800 single-engined Percival Proctor military communications and training aeroplanes. Initial aeroplanes were constructed at Ringway and once the Ministry for Aircraft Production took over control of Barton four new hangars were constructed, one of which was used by F. Hills.

Some of the Proctors were in service until 1955.

(Monochrome Photograph Middle Right) - Percival Proctor

The most unusual development undertaken by F. Hills was the Slip Wing Hurricane. The idea was for an aeroplane that could rapidly become airborne in a biplane configuration, with the upper wing jettisoned once suitably airborne leaving a standard aircraft configuration.

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