Who built the production Bombays?

Short answer

Short & Harland of Belfast, a company owned by Short Brothers and Harland and Wolff: Bristol's Filton factory was busy with the Blenheim, a more urgent light bomber. The contract covered 80 aircraft, of which 50 were delivered between April 1939 and June 1940.

Published: November 5, 2026 · Updated: November 5, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Bombay CECB 441F 5056 A318 A8C29D43A2D29B31

Filton designed, Belfast built

The prototype, a single aircraft, was ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company of Filton under contract 233529/33 and first flew in June 1935. Testing proved satisfactory and in July 1937 the order was placed under the designation Bombay. As Bristol's Filton factory was occupied with the Blenheim, a more urgent light bomber, the production aircraft were built by Short & Harland of Belfast, owned by Short Brothers and Harland and Wolff.

A curtailed order

Contract 562468/36, requisition 6/36, covered 80 aircraft built by Short Brothers and Harland in Belfast. Fifty were delivered between April 1939 and June 1940, and the rest were cancelled. The first Bombay was not delivered until 1939, and the last 30 were cancelled.