154:
123:
RAF Bomber
Command; the Blind Approach Training and Development Unit was formed there that September. However aircraft operating facilities at the time were a grass field, a small area of hardstanding, five pre-1930s hangars and a single new one, and some other permanent structures. Wartime construction was temporary and underfunded; a concrete runway – considered essential to operate the larger aircraft under test – was not completed until early 1945.
850:
181:. In terms of amenities, the establishment was equipped with some impressive test facilities such as a wind tunnel (supporting speeds up to 400 mph (640 km/h)), a large environmental hangar (creating temperatures between −40 °C to +50 °C and humidities up to 100%) and a weighbridge that can weigh and determine the centre of gravity of aircraft up to 135 tons.
126:
During the course of the war the A&AEE had to expand its facilities as it took on other roles. Its work including testing armaments, performance and acceptance trials for all new service aircraft and testing of "rogue" handling aircraft. It also developed improvements in aircraft equipment such
122:
About fifty aircraft and the military and civilian personnel had arrived at
Boscombe down by mid-September 1939. The Establishment was declared "open" on 20 September though it lacked access to ranges to test weapons. The site had been established as a regional control centre ("Flying Control") for
168:
The A&AEE has witnessed many significant developments in the
British aviation industry, including trials of many aircraft flown by the British armed forces since the Second World War, such as the first flights of the English Electric P 1, forerunner of the
884:
879:
874:
806:
437:
792:
135:
904:
373:
205:
899:
894:
767:
201:
813:
542:
889:
147:
115:, Wiltshire, owing to the proximity of Martlesham Heath to the east coast and its vulnerability to enemy attack. It remained part of
571:
398:
445:
778:
197:
153:
393:
388:
799:
378:
178:
170:
832:
656:
383:
229:
193:
772:
189:
348:
225:
143:
564:
299:
70:
854:
293:
139:
82:
687:
288:
283:
221:
328:
239:
Three pre-war flights plus another raised during the war. Reorganised as A to D squadrons in 1944.
130:
In 1946, in common with most other military research establishments, the A&AEE came under the
342:
157:
131:
89:
247:
Three flights. Reorganised as flights in squadrons A and B and a
Special Duties flight in 1944.
738:
538:
208:(Dstl) which remains within the civil service, and the rest going to form part of the company
112:
42:
712:
682:
557:
423:
116:
108:
46:
702:
476:
361:
101:
717:
39:
868:
618:
354:
339:
325:
50:
608:
334:
837:
743:
613:
93:
603:
492:
228:. The establishment also hosted attached units and for a period (1943–45) the
78:
85:
was officially opened, as an experimental airfield. The unit was renamed the
53:, Wiltshire, where its work continues following privatisation as part of the
748:
697:
661:
174:
17:
666:
634:
580:
424:"No. 23 (Training) Group, Training Command, Royal Air Force, 3.09.1939"
209:
54:
127:
as demisting equipment for windshields and exhaust flame suppression.
722:
204:(DERA) in 1995. In 2001 DERA was split into two parts, one being the
74:
138:. When the Ministry of Supply was wound up in 1959 it passed to the
477:"Records of the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment."
707:
692:
152:
96:
the site continued to be used and was, once again, renamed as the
553:
308:
During
January 1988, A & B Squadrons joined to create the
146:
in 1967, Ministry of
Aviation Supply in 1970, and then to the
535:
The Secret Years: Flight
Testing at Boscombe Down, 1939–1945
549:
224:
for testing aircraft and armaments, and a small number of
885:
Military research establishments of the United
Kingdom
212:
to which the staff at
Boscombe Down were transferred.
880:
Military units and formations disestablished in 1992
312:
which had three flights, D Squadron was renamed the
825:
760:
731:
675:
647:
627:
596:
587:
875:Military units and formations established in 1918
98:Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment
32:Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment
529:. Fairford, UK: Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.
482:, AVIA Division 4. Retrieved: November 28, 2015.
448:on 10 August 2007 – via Internet Archive.
111:, on 9 September, the A&AEE was removed to
537:. Crowborough, UK: Hikoki Publications, 2010.
442:UCL Adastral Park Postgraduate Research Campus
192:. Responsibility for the site passed from the
186:Aircraft and Armament Evaluation Establishment
565:
220:The A&AEE's wartime organisation was two
164:of the A&AEE at RAF Boscombe Down in 1990
8:
27:British military aviation research facility
593:
572:
558:
550:
136:Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment
77:, Wiltshire to a site on the heathland at
374:Telecommunications Research Establishment
206:Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
200:(DTEO) in 1993, and subsequently to the
198:Defence Test and Evaluation Organisation
415:
357:– he had been a pre-war A&AEE pilot
184:In 1992, the A&AEE was renamed the
768:Defence Evaluation and Research Agency
202:Defence Evaluation and Research Agency
507:
49:, Suffolk, the unit moved in 1939 to
7:
188:when experimental work moved to the
275:BATDU/WIDU/109 Squadron (1939–1942)
81:, Suffolk, and on 16 January 1917
45:from 1918 to 1992. Established at
25:
399:Boscombe Down Aviation Collection
269:Intensive Flying Development Unit
905:Research institutes in Wiltshire
849:
848:
177:. The site was shared with the
498:. Retrieved: November 28, 2015.
900:Research institutes in Suffolk
38:) was a research facility for
1:
895:Military history of Wiltshire
527:Royal Air Force Yearbook 1989
394:Central Fighter Establishment
389:Seaplane Experimental Station
235:Performance Testing Squadron
379:Royal Aircraft Establishment
87:Aeroplane Experimental Unit,
67:Experimental Aircraft Flight
890:Military history of Suffolk
496:An Apprentice's Perspective
179:School of Aviation Medicine
921:
243:Armament Testing Squadron
134:. In 1950 it absorbed the
846:
657:Defence Technology Centre
384:Royal Radar Establishment
314:Rotary Wing Test Squadron
230:Empire Test Pilots School
194:MoD Procurement Executive
83:Martlesham Heath Airfield
310:Fixed Wing Test Squadron
773:Defence Research Agency
304:Bomber Development Unit
256:C (Special Duty Flight)
190:Defence Research Agency
107:At the outbreak of the
444:. 2007. Archived from
165:
144:Ministry of Technology
158:De Havilland Comet 4C
156:
73:was transferred from
71:Central Flying School
294:No. 249 Squadron RAF
279:Lodger and attached
266:High Altitude Flight
140:Ministry of Aviation
688:Foster-Miller TALON
491:Callaghan, Victor.
320:Commanding officers
289:No. 56 Squadron RAF
284:No. 58 Squadron RAF
272:Gun Proofing Flight
148:Ministry of Defence
92:. After the end of
732:Places and vessels
525:March, P. (1989).
253:B (Bombing) Flight
250:A (Gunnery) Flight
166:
132:Ministry of Supply
90:Royal Flying Corps
862:
861:
739:MoD Boscombe Down
648:Shareholdings and
643:
642:
543:978-1-9021-0914-5
480:National Archives
467:Mason 2010, p. 7.
458:Mason 2010, p. 6.
349:D D'Arcy A. Greig
113:RAF Boscombe Down
43:military aviation
16:(Redirected from
912:
852:
851:
816:
809:
802:
795:
788:
781:
713:QinetiQ Mercator
594:
574:
567:
560:
551:
530:
511:
505:
499:
493:"Boscombe Down."
489:
483:
474:
468:
465:
459:
456:
450:
449:
434:
428:
427:
420:
298:Handling Flight
117:No. 23 Group RAF
109:Second World War
47:Martlesham Heath
21:
920:
919:
915:
914:
913:
911:
910:
909:
865:
864:
863:
858:
842:
821:
812:
805:
798:
791:
784:
777:
756:
727:
703:QinetiQ Banshee
671:
649:
639:
623:
589:
583:
578:
548:
524:
520:
515:
514:
506:
502:
490:
486:
475:
471:
466:
462:
457:
453:
436:
435:
431:
422:
421:
417:
412:
407:
370:
322:
218:
102:Royal Air Force
63:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
918:
916:
908:
907:
902:
897:
892:
887:
882:
877:
867:
866:
860:
859:
847:
844:
843:
841:
840:
835:
829:
827:
823:
822:
820:
819:
818:
817:
810:
803:
796:
789:
782:
770:
764:
762:
758:
757:
755:
754:
746:
741:
735:
733:
729:
728:
726:
725:
720:
718:QinetiQ Zephyr
715:
710:
705:
700:
695:
690:
685:
679:
677:
673:
672:
670:
669:
664:
659:
653:
651:
645:
644:
641:
640:
638:
637:
631:
629:
625:
624:
622:
621:
616:
611:
606:
600:
598:
591:
585:
584:
579:
577:
576:
569:
562:
554:
547:
546:
531:
521:
519:
516:
513:
512:
500:
484:
469:
460:
451:
438:"Site History"
429:
414:
413:
411:
408:
406:
403:
402:
401:
396:
391:
386:
381:
376:
369:
366:
365:
364:
360:Air Commodore
358:
353:Air Commodore
351:
347:Air Commodore
345:
337:
333:Group Captain
331:
321:
318:
306:
305:
302:
296:
291:
286:
277:
276:
273:
270:
267:
260:
259:
258:
257:
254:
251:
241:
240:
217:
214:
160:test aircraft
62:
59:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
917:
906:
903:
901:
898:
896:
893:
891:
888:
886:
883:
881:
878:
876:
873:
872:
870:
857:
856:
845:
839:
836:
834:
833:John Chisholm
831:
830:
828:
824:
815:
811:
808:
804:
801:
797:
794:
790:
787:
783:
780:
776:
775:
774:
771:
769:
766:
765:
763:
759:
753:
752:
747:
745:
742:
740:
737:
736:
734:
730:
724:
721:
719:
716:
714:
711:
709:
706:
704:
701:
699:
696:
694:
691:
689:
686:
684:
681:
680:
678:
674:
668:
665:
663:
660:
658:
655:
654:
652:
646:
636:
633:
632:
630:
626:
620:
619:Foster-Miller
617:
615:
612:
610:
607:
605:
602:
601:
599:
595:
592:
588:Divisions and
586:
582:
575:
570:
568:
563:
561:
556:
555:
552:
544:
540:
536:
532:
528:
523:
522:
517:
510:, p. 87.
509:
504:
501:
497:
494:
488:
485:
481:
478:
473:
470:
464:
461:
455:
452:
447:
443:
439:
433:
430:
425:
419:
416:
409:
404:
400:
397:
395:
392:
390:
387:
385:
382:
380:
377:
375:
372:
371:
367:
363:
359:
356:
352:
350:
346:
344:
341:
340:Air Commodore
338:
336:
332:
330:
327:
326:Group Captain
324:
323:
319:
317:
315:
311:
303:
301:
297:
295:
292:
290:
287:
285:
282:
281:
280:
274:
271:
268:
265:
264:
263:
255:
252:
249:
248:
246:
245:
244:
238:
237:
236:
233:
231:
227:
223:
215:
213:
211:
207:
203:
199:
195:
191:
187:
182:
180:
176:
172:
163:
159:
155:
151:
149:
145:
141:
137:
133:
128:
124:
120:
118:
114:
110:
105:
103:
99:
95:
91:
88:
84:
80:
76:
72:
68:
65:In 1917, the
60:
58:
56:
52:
51:Boscombe Down
48:
44:
41:
37:
33:
19:
853:
785:
761:Predecessors
750:
650:partnerships
609:Boldon James
590:subsidiaries
534:
533:Mason, Tim.
526:
518:Bibliography
503:
495:
487:
479:
472:
463:
454:
446:the original
441:
432:
418:
355:J N Boothman
329:B McEntegart
313:
309:
307:
278:
261:
242:
234:
219:
216:Organisation
185:
183:
167:
161:
129:
125:
121:
106:
97:
86:
66:
64:
35:
31:
29:
838:Graham Love
744:RAE Bedford
614:Cyveillance
343:R B Mansell
142:, then the
94:World War I
869:Categories
604:Automatika
508:March 1989
405:References
362:H P Fraser
335:R S Sorley
173:, and the
79:Martlesham
786:A&AEE
698:QinetiQ 1
662:Metrix UK
222:squadrons
175:BAC TSR.2
171:Lightning
150:in 1971.
57:company.
36:A&AEE
18:A&AEE
855:Category
683:Cerberus
676:Products
368:See also
667:PSivida
635:Omni-ID
597:Current
581:QinetiQ
262:Others
226:flights
210:QinetiQ
196:to the
162:Canopus
100:of the
69:of the
61:History
55:Qinetiq
40:British
826:People
751:Triton
723:TopSat
628:Former
541:
75:Upavon
807:RARDE
708:Q-Net
693:PyTEC
410:Notes
814:RSRE
793:MVEE
539:ISBN
30:The
800:RAE
779:ARE
749:RV
300:CFS
871::
440:.
316:.
232:.
119:.
104:.
573:e
566:t
559:v
545:.
426:.
34:(
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.