Seaplane Experimental Station
Seaplane Experimental Station | |
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First World War |
The Seaplane Experimental Station, formerly RNAS Felixstowe, was a British aircraft design unit during the early part of the 20th century.
Creation
During June 1912, surveys began for a suitable site for a base for Naval hydro-aeroplanes, with at first
The unit at Felixstowe was commissioned 5 August 1913 on the
RNAS Felixstowe was created soon after the outbreak of World War I following the formation of the
Operation
As the name implies, the unit designed seaplanes and flying boats. These were generally known by the Felixstowe name although, apart from the prototypes, these flying boats were built by aircraft manufacturers such as Short Brothers, Dick, Kerr & Co. and Phoenix Dynamo Manufacturing Company (the latter two forming part of English Electric in 1918–1919).
Upon Porte's recommendation, the station was initially equipped with Curtiss flying boats. He improved their hull designs, before developing the Felixstowe flying boats from those experiments. Many Felixstowe boats were built under licence in the USA. The craft were flown on long-range patrols to spot the German High Seas Fleet and Zeppelins, with many based at RNAS Felixstowe.
A seaplane carrier, HMS Vindex based at Felixstowe, planned to operate against the Zeppelins; the aircraft, two Bristol Scouts, took off from a short improvised runway on the forward deck. The station also serviced aircraft of the carriers Engadine and Campania.[1]
On 24 April 1916 trials were run in conjunction with the
To begin with the flying boats had little success against U-boats until the introduction of the "
To increase the range of the aircraft, experiments were carried out in the launch and retrieval of flying boats and bi-planes from specially designed lighters towed behind destroyers of the Harwich Force.[2][7]
On the formation of the Royal Air Force 1 April 1918, the unit was renamed the Seaplane Experimental Station, Felixstowe and disbanded in June 1919.
Successor
The base and its facilities were later used by the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment from 1 April 1924 until the Second World War. It was also used as a base by the Schneider Trophy team, the High Speed Flight. RAF Felixstowe closed 21 June 1962.
Designs
- Felixstowe Porte Baby
- Felixstowe F.1
- Felixstowe F.2
- Felixstowe F.3
- Felixstowe F.4 Fury
- Felixstowe F.5
- Felixstowe F5L
Station commanders
- Captain C. E. Risk, RM 1913–1914
- Lieutenant C. E. H. Rathborne, RN 1914–1915
- Acting Wing Captain R. M. Groves RN 1915[8]
- Commander J. C. Porte, RN 1915–1918
- Wing Commander C. E. Risk, RAF 1918–1919
- Wing Commander I. T. Courtney, RAF 1919–1922
- Flying Officer F. Wilton, RAF 1922–1924
- Wing Commander C. E. H. Rathborne, RAF 1924–1925
- Wing Commander R. B. Maycock, RAF 1925–1928
- Group Captain G. R. Bromet, RAF 1928–1931
- Group Captain A. J. Milley, RAF 1931–1936
- Group Captain E. J. P. Burling, RAF 1936–1939
- Wing Commander D. G. Fleming, RAF 1939–1940
- Wing Commander W. B. Hellard, RAF 1940–1942
- Wing Commander N. Keeble, RAF 1942–1943
- Wing Commander L. G. Martin, RAF 1943–1945
- Group Captain W. G. Abrams, RAF 1945–1946
- Group Captain W. P. Welch, RAF 1946–1948
- Group Captain C. A. Watt, RAF 1948–1949
- Wing Commander D. H. Thomas, RAF 1949–1951
- Wing Commander C. V. Winn, RAF 1951–1953
- Wing Commander J. A. Chorlton, RAF 1953–1954
- Wing Commander W. O. Jones, RAF 1954–1956
- Wing Commander R. P. Burton, RAF 1956–1957
- Wing Commander J. T. O'Sullivan, RAF 1957–1960
- Wing Commander C. F. Price, RAF 1960–1961
- Wing Commander C. H. Baker, RAF 1961–1962[9]
See also
- No. 4 Group RAF
- Martlesham Heath
- RAF Coastal Area
References
- ^ a b c d "RNAS Felixstowe". WW1 Anti-invasion Defences and Home Defence Suffolk. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
- ^ a b c d Trippitt, Mike (22 May 2018). "The fascinating history behind Felixstowe's flying boats". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ Woodcock. "The Royal Naval Air Service in the First World War". Imperial War Museum. IWM. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
Aerial view of Felixstowe air station. Taken from a Short Seaplane by PO Woodcock RNAS from 2500 feet.
- ^ "Photographs taken at Felixstowe and Lowerstoft (sic) air stations 1914–1918". 1914–1918. Retrieved 21 August 2018 – via YouTube.
- ^ Paul Akermann, Encyclopedia of British Submarines 1901–1955
- ^ "The week by week story of the Sopwith Aviation Company and its products through 1916". Kingston Aviation. 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- ^ "The Harwich Force". A Pictorial Postcard History of Harwich, Dovercourt and Parkeston. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- ^ Lovell; Harley, Tony; Simon (21 July 2021). "Felixstowe Air Station". The Dreadnought Project. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "365 (Felixstowe) Squadron Air Training Corps". RAF Felixstowe - Station Commanders. Royal Air Force, 356 (Felixstowe) Squadron Headquarters, Carr Road, Felixstowe Suffolk IP11 3RX United Kingdom. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
External links
- Photographs taken at Felixstowe and Lowerstoft (sic) air stations 1914–1918 on YouTube
- Sons of Our Empire: Film of the Royal Naval Air Service at Felixstowe, about August 1916.
- Seaplanes: Film including the launch of Felixstowe flying boats at the Seaplane Experimental Station, 12 November 1918.
- Felixstowe, Suffolk: Pioneering Sea Plane Base Audio recording.
- Building Britain’s WW1 flying boat fleet: Article concerning the development and manufacture of Felixstowe flying boats.
- WW1 Flying boat crew: Article about air crew and operating procedures on North Seapatrols.
- Flying boats over the Heligoland Bight: Article exploring the use of seaplane lighters in combined operations with the Harwich Force.