Plessey Dynamics

In 1965 the US management consultancy, McKinsey, was brought in by Plessey to review the company and as a result the businesses were divided into Groups, one of which was Dynamics. The major site for work on aviation equipment was at Ilford in Essex.

Defence contracts for hydraulics and electronics played a major part in Plessey's success and in 1966 Plessey Dynamics was advertising Hydraulic Actuators with '99-97% reliability over 115 million unit-hours'flying time with more than 425 types Plessey knows all about actuators—a knowledge that comes from years of experience in supplying aircraft actuators from the comprehensive and proven Plessey Electrical Systems Division range.'

Again in 1970 an advertisement proudly proclaims: 'The Plessey Dynamics Group is a leading supplier of hydraulic pumps in Europe. Products include a wide range of hydraulic pumps, valves, steering units and motors.'

This activity in aviation products is much older and the supply of Fuel Pumps dates back to the acquisition in 1936 of a number of key manufacturing licences from American companies, such as Breeze Corporation, for aircraft multi-pin electrical connectors; Federal Laboratories for Coffman starters (an explosive cartridge device used to start aircraft engines); and Pump Engineering Services Corporation for the manufacture of Pesco fuel pumps. Plessey went on to produce large numbers of Pesco fuel pumps for Rolls Royce Merlin engines, and in 1940 the fuel pump for Britain's first jet engine.