The
Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both
airframes and
aero engines. Notable aircraft produced by the company include the
'Boxkite', the
Bristol Fighter, the
Bulldog, the
Blenheim, the
Beaufighter, and the
Britannia, and much of the preliminary work which led to the
Concorde was carried out by the company. In 1956 its major operations were split into
Bristol Aircraft and
Bristol Aero Engines. In 1959, Bristol Aircraft merged with several major British aircraft companies to form the
British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) and Bristol Aero Engines merged with
Armstrong Siddeley to form
Bristol Siddeley.