02/05/2004. Remarks by Sam Weller: "Before the war my mother, Nora Weller (nee Cox) worked at AST (Air Service Training) in Hamble, Hampshire. Their offices were next to Armstrong Whitworth, and both companies were owned by Hawker Siddeley. She said she could see into the works from her 'attic' office and watched them build a full size wooden mockup of the first of the Armstrong Whitworth "E" Class planes.
When the actual first production model was ready it was rolled out on to AST's airfield on Sunday morning January 23, 1938, for its maiden test flight on the following day. People probably gathered because of its size, I think it was the biggest British airliner of its day."
Read the type remarks on page 3280B.
