Reginald Wells seaplanes

[Longpockets]

Smiffy - ".......the fact that he built houses in Kent but no one knows where they are!"

Mike Gamill - " I would love to find a house in Kent built by Wells. I have tried."

I assume you have seen this - https://www.glproperty.co.uk/whats-a-wells-cottage


They are probably around us but we do not realise they are there.



Archival material relating to Wells is located at Storrington Museum, The Old School, School Lane, Storrington, West Sussex, RH20 4LL. [See http://www.storringtonmuseum.org/artifacts.html accessed 26 January 2010]

Source - https://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib2_1203552906


A Sussex cottage example is here https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2789260/welcome-fakesville-1-5million-cottage-s-not-village-racy-royal-past.html

[Mike Gunnill]

Fascinating stuff, someone who is known as a potter going on to manufacture aircraft is not exactly a common occurrence. I particularly liked  "the Russian from Morocco", the "German called Fritz" ( aren't they all?) and the fact that he built houses in Kent but no one knows where they are!

Smiffy: I would love to find a house in Kent built by Wells. I have tried.

[Cosmo Smallpiece]

[Smiffy]

Fascinating stuff, someone who is known as a potter going on to manufacture aircraft is not exactly a common occurrence. I particularly liked  "the Russian from Morocco", the "German called Fritz" ( aren't they all?) and the fact that he built houses in Kent but no one knows where they are!

[Dave Smith]

Mike, Great attachment, thanks. I'd never heard of Wells Aircraft either but I see they made- or advertised they did- the Benoist Flying Boats in 1914. Not French but USA. It made me chuckle, "the first commercial passenger flying boat service" ( pilot & one passenger sitting alongside!) from Tampa to St. Petersburge, Florida. The " flying boat"- actually seaplane- that Wells did make wasn't a success as it hardly left the water on its maiden flight. ( Engine too heavy- always a problem in the early days). Better stick to pottery, which was very much a success. On the slipway at Woodger's Wharf is a very streamlined speed boat, not a flying boat.

[Mike Gunnill]

Mike, is this it?

It looks the right place, yes!  The buildings no longer stand but that is the right location.

[Smiffy]

Mike, is this it?

[Cosmo Smallpiece]

Where in Rainham was the Wells Aviation Co factory and slipway? I'm curious as never heard of that before.

[Mike Gunnill]

Yes please Mike. Anything to do with aviation is of interest to me, particularly that bit about a concrete runway at Rainham . Thanking you in anticipation.

The concrete was more a slip way, to get his aircraft in the water.


Mike

[Smiffy]

Never heard of Wells Aviation, should be interesting.

[Dave Smith]

Yes please Mike. Anything to do with aviation is of interest to me, particularly that bit about a concrete runway at Rainham . Thanking you in anticipation.

[Mike Gunnill]

I found this during a clear-out yesterday. I have a feature somewhere. The tale of Reginald Fairfax Wells who designed early sea-planes. He was successful with his company Wells Aviation and had a huge factory in Chelsea in 1914. Prior to that he was based near Rainham, Kent. Still today there is a concrete slipway, he used. Now very overgrown.


If anyone is interested I will post pix and the feature I did.






Mike