Lieut. Austin in De Havilland plane

Geoffrey de Havilland was born in Buckinghamshire. Upon graduating from engineering training, he pursued a career in automotive engineering working as an apprentice in engine manufacturer companies Willans & Robinson of Rugby and Motor Omnibus Construction Company Limited in Walthamstow. He designed his first aero engine and had the first prototype made by Iris Motor Company of Willesden. After his marriage in 1909, he focused on designing, building, and flying. In 1920 de Havilland formed de Havilland Aircraft Company Limited. The company was lucky to be approached by Alan Samuel Butler who wanted a new airplane built for him. After several years of financial struggle, in 1925, de Havilland's designed the Moth, which proved to be a success. Soon, and de Havilland Aircraft Company Limited went public. De Havilland introduced a series of small aircraft powered by de Havilland's own Gipsy engines and set many aviation records. His twin piston-engined DH 88 Comet racer became famous as the winner of the MacRobertson Air Race from England to Australia in 1934. During the Second World War, De Haviland Mosquito wooden construction avoided the use of strategic materials such as aluminum. His higher-performing Hornet fighter pioneered the use of metal-wood and metal-metal bonding techniques. After the Second World War de Havilland continued with advanced designs in both the military and civil aircraft but faced disasters. The experimental tailless jet-powered de Havilland DH 108 Swallow crashed in the Thames Estuary, killing Geoffrey de Havilland, Jr., son of the company's founder. The de Havilland Comet put into service in 1952 suffered high-profile crashes. DH 110 prototype during the 1952 Farnborough Airshow crashed and killed members of the public. The Comet 4, enabled the de Havilland airliner to return to the skies in 1958. By then the United States had its Boeing 707 jet and the Douglas DC-8, both of which were faster and more economical to operate. The company became defunct in 1963. De Havilland also entered the field of long-range missiles, developing the liquid-fuelled Blue Streak. It became the first stage of the Europa space launch vehicle, but the upper stages, built in France and Germany, repeatedly failed. In 1973, the Europa was canceled.