Established at Coventry 1911, absorbing former Warwick
Wright company and inheriting two excellent designers,
Howard T. Wright and W. O. Manning, who designed a
biplane of which two were built at Battersea and test-flown
at Brooklands as entries for RFC Military trials of August
1912, one with Gnome engine and other with Chenu engine.
Neither did very well, though Gnome-engined aircraft later
flew successfully at Brooklands after modification. No further
original designs before First World War. During the conflict
C.O.W. acted mainly as subcontractor on Royal Aircraft
Factory aircraft, including B.E.2 and B.E.8 series,
B.E.12/12a, R.E.7 and R.E.8. Also built Sopwith Snipe
single-seat fighters. Aircraft department closed 1919.
Basically acknowledged, however, as armaments firm
(e.g. warship gun installations), and developed rapid-firing
aircraft gun (0.5kg shell) intended for Royal Aircraft Factory
F.E.4 fighter/bomber and projected Airco (de Havilland)
D.H.8. A 37mm development was later mounted in Vickers
and Westland F.9/27 fighter prototypes, but its weight
prohibited its acceptance for fighters.
