Supermarine
Pemberton-Billing Ltd
“I will design boats that fly, rather than aeroplanes
that float"
Noel Pemberton-Billing Supermarine began as a small marine aviation company in
1913. Based in Woolston on the Itchen River, it was started by
Noel Pemberton-Billing who wanted to produce innovative marine
aircraft. Pemberton-Billing was an eccentric inventor who had
already made several attempts at building aircraft before coming to
Southampton. He lived on his schooner yacht on the river close to
the factory and famously bet he would learn to fly and get his
pilot's licence all in a day. In fact he earned it after only
a few hours flying, taking the test and passing before
breakfast! Officially called Pemberton-Billing Ltd, the company was
referred to more as ‘Supermarine’, which was its telegraphic
address. The factory’s initial designs were for an aircraft
that had the ability to land on water, detach its wings to become a
lifeboat and rescue stranded sailors from shipwrecks.
Unsurprisingly it was never built but a later aircraft design did
incorporate this ‘slip wing’ ability. The German Government
placed orders for it in 1914 but the aircraft was never
completed. War broke out and Supermarine came under the
control of the Admiralty for its duration. A change in
ownership also occurred at this time. As the company began to
have money problems, Pemberton-Billing’s interest waned and it was
left to his partner to bring the company around.
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