The History of Marshall
In many ways the history of the Marshall Group of Companies reflects the
story of British aviation itself. The original company was established in 1909 in Cambridge
by David Gregory Marshall, as an automobile business. Aviation was in its infancy and much
of the enabling technology for successful powered flight was emerging through developments
that started in automotive engineering. In fact the company’s first involvement in aviation
dates back to 1912 when its mechanics helped repair the engine of a British Army airship, the
Beta II, which had made an emergency landing in Jesus Grove, Cambridge, just behind the Marshall
owned garage in the centre of the city.
The 20th Century was destined to be the century of aviation, and from a modest start the growth of
Marshall enterprise at Cambridge was to extend into just about every aspect of aerospace engineering.
Throughout, at its heart lay the tradition of excellence that owed so much to the continuity provided
by a family commitment that has encompassed three generations. It was David Marshall’s son, Arthur, who
had learned to fly after gaining an engineering degree at Jesus College, Cambridge in 1926, who helped
open a new aerodrome situated on the outskirts of the city beside the family home. At this initial operating
base, flying training commenced in 1929 and a year later the Marshalls Flying School Ltd was formed.
Business increased steadily through the 1930s until it became necessary to find a larger site, still close to
the city, but allowing for the predicted expansion of activities that would be needed to train more pilots
together with the engineering support for growing numbers of aircraft. The company purchased the necessary
farmland and in 1938 the new Cambridge Airport was officially opened by the then Secretary of State for Air,
Sir Kingsley Wood. This was very opportune for re-armament was becoming an urgent national priority, along with
the need for even more facilities for military aircrew training. In 1938 a major flying training school for the
RAF Volunteer Reserve was established by Marshall and training soon got into its stride with over 600 new RAF
pilots trained before the Battle of Britain commenced. This increased in size and tempo so that by the end of
the Second World War, the flying school had trained over 20,000 aircrew – pilots, observers and flying
instructors. Alongside this training, Marshall had repaired, or re-built, over 5,000 aircraft, ranging in size
and complexity from the Oxfords and Ansons of Flying Training Command to such front-line operational types as
the Mosquito, Spitfire, Hurricane, Wellington and B-17.
During the war, the
Cambridge University Air Squadron, the first UAS, moved to Cambridge from Duxford and remained, fully supported by
Marshall, until 1999. The company has also played a major role in supporting No 104 (City of Cambridge) Squadron of
the Air Training Corps since its formation. Sir Arthur Marshall was its first Civilian Chairman, from 1939 until 1975,
and this position is now held by his son, Mr Michael Marshall, the present Chairman of the Marshall Group of Companies.
After the war, aerospace
engineering work continued to generate new business, civil and military, with over 1,600
aircraft passing through the company’s well-equipped hangars and workshops. Most of this work involved repairs,
structural modifications and conversions, but also included final assembly of the last production batch of DH
Venoms. Many Canberra bombers were modified over the years as were members of the Viking/ Varsity/Valetta and
Viscount family. In 1953 a new concrete runway was built and two years later the first of the very large hangars.
This new accommodation could handle such outsize aircraft as the Valiant, Britannia, Belfast and VC-10, but also
the DC-10, TriStar and 747. Modification work on a variety of wide body and narrow body airliners continues today
and the company is a major service centre for Cessna Citation business jets.
Marshall Aerospace is the Sister Design Authority for the Royal Air Force fleet of Lockheed L10-11 TriStar Tanker/Freighter
aircraft which Marshall converted to these roles. The Company has also converted a number of passenger TriStar aircraft
for use as civil freighters in the United States. Marshall Aerospace enjoys a world-wide reputation for maintenance,
repair and modification of a large number of civilian operated TriStars.
The company has the authorisation and experience to work on a range of business and commercial aircraft from Cessna Citations
to Boeing 777s. On the maintenance side, the Company’s expertise extends from routine daily maintenance to a full aircraft
depot check, whereas modifications can range from a basic instrument change to a complete avionics upgrade.
Marshall Aerospace’s Corporate Division has been a Cessna approved Citation Service Station since 1974. As one of the few
independent Boeing 777 and 747 Service Facilities in the world, major modifications include installation of the BE
Aerospace/Flight Structures Overhead Flight Crew Rest (OFCR) and Overhead Attendant Rest (OHAR). In addition Marshall
Aerospace conducts major interior reconfiguration and maintenance programmes for on-lease/off-lease Airbus A320, B767,
MD-11 and DC-10 aircraft.
With a total available hangar space of 1.2 million square feet, some 1,500 people, including an Aircraft Design Office with 250 highly skilled engineers, the company has a unique range of aerospace engineering facilities and equipment.
As the UK Designated Company for the RAF C-130 Hercules since 1966, and Sister Design Authority since 1988, Marshall has
been able to win MOD engineering support contracts that have resulted in a continuous through-life association with Lockheed
Martin and the C-130K Hercules. This has included complex fuselage-stretch production and major repair, modification and
upgrades work for RAF and export customers. Later, this transatlantic partnership led to further aircraft modification and
support contracts for the RAF fleet of TriStar tanker/transports as well as a close working relationship on the next-generation
Hercules, the C-130J programme, which was to bring UK companies a 20% share in every J-model sold worldwide. Both the Hercules
and TriStar remain in front-line RAF service and Marshall continues to provide full engineering support with major modification
and upgrade contracts currently underway.
The MOD announcement,
on May 31, 2006, of the placing of a £1.52 billion prime contract with Marshall Aerospace, to provide
long-term in-depth Hercules maintenance and support at Cambridge and the main RAF operating base, within a partnership with
Lockheed Martin and Rolls-Royce, will, in an industry “first”, provide guaranteed levels of aircraft availability, saving
taxpayers over £171 million over 24 years.
In 2007, the iconic
Vulcan XH558 returned to the skies for the first time in 15 years. As the engineering authority, Marshall established a satellite operation
at the Vulcan’s home of Bruntingthorpe, and worked with the Vulcan to the Sky Trust to restore the aircraft to airworthiness.
2008 saw the opening of
the new Marshall Business Aviation Centre – an executive passenger handling facility with an integrated aircraft maintenance
facility. The newest hangar on site, No 22 Hangar, can hold up to six Cessna Citations – allowing the Company to further benefit from
its status as an authorised Cessna Citation Service centre which it has been since 1974.
Marshall were tasked
by Airbus Military to carry out risk reduction flight trials for the Europrop International TP400-D6 engine on a C-130 test bed – this
engine is the largest ever designed and produced in the Western world and will be used to power the new Airbus Military A400M transporter
aircraft. The C–130 aircraft was the former Meteorological C-130 for the RAF, and it flew for the first time in December 2008.
Following 25 years of
providing maintenance and modifications to the RAF Tristar fleet, in October 2008 Marshall was awarded the Tristar Integrated Operational
Support contract by the UK MoD and Industry partners Flight Support Services and Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies to support the fleet
until their out of service date. Currently, the Tristar fleet is also receiving a 'glass' flight deck and many self-protection modifications
designed and installed by the Company.
G988 – the first of
two C–130s for the Royal Netherlands Air Force – successfully flew on its first test flight from Cambridge on the 2nd July 2009,
following extensive upgrade and modification work which will see both aircraft provided with new cockpits and cabin safety improvements.
From the dismantle of the aircraft in Tucson, Arizona in 2006, and their journey over the Atlantic Ocean to Cambridge through to their
current form today, remarkable progress has been made to provide the Royal Netherlands Air Force with an exceptional solution to meet their
tactical airlift requirements.
