Our Legacy

IrvinGQ® specialise in aerospace and defence solutions. With a history dating back to 1919, we have always been a trusted name in the industry

Legacy

Unrivalled legacy of excellence

Trusted

Innovators since 1919

Pioneers

Life changing results

Celebrating over 100 Years of
Saving Lives 1919 – 2019

IrvinGQ® is a market-leading £50million global business, employing over 250 people in the UK and France.

We preserve the internationally established brand names of Irvin & GQ Parachutes and maintain the proud traditions of these predecessors in continuing to supply products of quality and reliability for over 100 years.

Our work is highly skilled, interesting and very meaningful. We regularly hear of and publicise incidents where lives have been saved by the products made by our employees. The IrvinGQ Caterpillar Club is still in existence today.

Our key business is based around Naval Decoy Systems, Parachutes, Aerial Delivery Equipment and Services. IrvinGQ® is a directly-reporting division of Transdigm Group Inc, a $5billion turnover US public company, which operates in the Aerospace and Defence market.

Recent Ownership

Owned by Transdigm since 2013.

Locations

Since April 2022, IrvinGQ® has operated from our European HQ in Llangeinor, Bridgend, following a substantial refurbishment of the site. We also have additional sites in Letchworth and Toulouse.

With over 100 years’ design experience, IrvinGQ has world class status for pioneering advancements in technology

From Proposal to Production and after care services, IrvinGQ® will be there with you and for you

Our Programme Managers are responsible for all projects from the proposal stage to production. This encompasses feasibility, design, and development, static and dynamic testing, drawing approval, preparation of procedures and specifications and approval of prototypes.

Extensive computer-aided design facilities, coupled with efficient data access to past trials and simulations enable parametric studies and predictions to be undertaken for all applications. The results of current trials are constantly fed back to confirm and validate predictions and to enhance further the value and accuracy of the simulation.

Strong Project Management skills ensure that equipment is to specification and is delivered on time. Our production engineering experts are involved from the beginning of a project to ensure that the system is value engineered for efficient design and cost effective production.

Precision metal manufacturing capability

Our in-house precision metal manufacturing capability evolved following the acquisition in 1994 of Aircraft Materials Ltd (AML) and its relocation to Llangeinor during 2003.

The wide range of systems and components that make up our Metals division product range includes:

  • Aerial Delivery Platforms
  • Air Transportation Pallets
  • Military Harnessware
  • Helicopter Deplaning & Underslung Load Equipment
  • Commercial Harnessware and Fittings

Our multi-disciplinary research and development teams have an unrivalled breadth of expertise in the design and development of parachutes, naval decoy systems and associated technologies

Our products remain at the forefront of the most demanding areas of Defence, including parachutes for:

  • Martin Baker range of ejection seats
  • Brake Parachutes for the Hawk, Jaguar and Eurofighter Typhoon
  • Pallets and Parachutes for Aerial Delivery
  • Countermeasures
  • Survival Equipment used in Search and Rescue

We continue to pack and maintain Parachutes for the UK Airborne Forces at our unit in Letchworth (AFPSU) under a contract first secured over 20 years ago

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