William Weir: architect of air power? The First World War chapter

Abstract

As a successful engineering entrepreneur, William Weir took on government positions in the First World War and played a leading role in increasing British aircraft production in 1917–1918. The British Cabinet believed at the time that his policies were highly effective, a conclusion picked up in later historiography that dubbed him the ‘architect of air power’, responsible for ‘dazzling’ production results. This article looks afresh at Weir’s aeronautical career in the First World War, and highlights hitherto neglected quality problems with British aeroengines, and cost overruns in airframe production, which heavily qualify the apparently high levels of aircraft production attributed to him.