Hewlett & Blondeau Hewlett & Blondeau was a manufacturer of aeroplanes and other equipment based in Leagrave , Luton , England which produced more than 800 aeroplanes and employed up to 700 people . History . The company was formed by Hilda Hewlett and Gustav Blondeau . The two met at Brooklands , Surrey where Blondeau had opened his own flying school . Together they formed " Hewlett and Blondeau " and built Farman , Avro , Caudron and Hanriot aircraft under licence . They were the first company to build Caudron aircraft in Britain . The first factory was a disused ice - skating rink called The Omnia in Vardens Road in Clapham , London , where eventually they produced ten different types of aircraft . In May 1914 , Hewlett & Blondeau purchased a field in Leagrave , Bedfordshire , specifically to build Farman aircraft . In order to retain links with its former base in Clapham , the firm kept the old telegraphic address ' Aeromnia ' , and named the factory The Omnia Works . When the First World War started in August 1914 , the factory was able to meet government orders for aircraft for the wartime expansion of the Royal Flying Corps . The factory employed around 700 people at its peak , but by 1919 , despite a full order book , the firm encountered difficulties . The Air Ministry appointed Ashley Pope to oversee the factory because one of the aircraft in production at the time had a large engine which was vital to the war effort . Pope noted that Hewlett worked tirelessly nearly 24 hours per day , barely stopping for breaks or meals . A reporter from Implement and Machinery Review was invited to look around the site in September 1919 . He reported the following " Having made a notable contribution to the war efforts of the nation by manufacturing large numbers of aeroplanes , Messrs . Hewlett & Blondeau Ltd . , of The Omnia Works , Leagrave , Beds . have , for some time now , directed their attention to agricultural engineering . There are adequate reasons why their venture should be highly successful . In the first place , on the ten acres of freehold land which form the works site has been built a series of up - to - date substantial shops , fitted with the latest type of machinery and replete in every way with labour saving devices . The whole of the of buildings is commodious , airy and thoroughly modern , for the works were of ' mushroom growth ' so common during the war , albeit it cannot be too strongly emphasised that they are solidly and well constructed . " In addition to the usual offices , stores , etc . , the works comprise machine , fitting , inspection , woodworking , erecting and smithing shops , a sheetmetal works , hardening & annealing rooms , an iron foundry and an acetylene welding department . Over three hundred ' hands ' are today employed and the promising outlook makes the prospect of an increase in this number very probable . " Post WWI . Adverts for Hewlett and Blondeau engines and sawbenches appeared in the Luton News during late 1919 with the last advertisement being on the 12 February 1920 . A decision was made to close the works and Fuller , Horley and Son & Cassell of London arranged a six day sale of the site and contents of the factory starting on Tuesday 19 October 1920 . The site with of buildings failed to reach the second asking bid of £50 , 000 and went for private treaty , eventually being sold to Electrolux and forming part of the then new Electrolux factory where some of the original buildings remain to this day . Much of the site was redeveloped in the 1990s and early 2000s into residential housing . The plant , machinery , stock and effects sold well to a large number of businesses including Vauxhall Motors and Hayward Tyler , the latter still having a factory in Luton . Mrs Hewlett , having separated from her husband in 1914 , eventually emigrated with her family to New Zealand where she died in 1943 . She is commemorated by a street name , Hewlett Road , in Leagrave . Gustav Blondeau died on 3 March 1965 at 176 Old Bedford Road Luton . Aircraft . Aircraft built by Hewlett & Blondeau include :