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727 Naval Air Squadron
727 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. It was formed in 1943 as a Fleet Requirements Unit, being disbanded in December 1944. It was reformed twice in the 1940s and 1950s to provide flying experience for naval officers. The current squadron was created on 6 Dec 2001 from the Royal Naval Flying Training Flight. It operates the Grob Tutor, with its primary role to provide grading and legacy-Elementary Flying Training for Royal Navy and Royal Marine pilots under training. It also supports the Royal Navy's "Flying Start" flying scholarship scheme. History of 727 NAS Fleet Requirements Unit (1943 - 1944) 727 Naval Air Squadron was formed on 26 May 1943 at Gibraltar as a Fleet Requirements Unit covering the area from Bizerta to Algiers. The squadron was equipped with target-towing Boulton Paul Defiants, Fairey Swordfish and Hawker Hurricane IIc. The squadron was disbanded on 7 December 1944. Air Experience Unit (1946 - 1960) After World War II it was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wildcat and AW101 Merlin for commando and anti-submarine warfare and the BAE Hawk as an aggressor. The Fleet Air Arm today is a predominantly rotary force, with helicopters undertaking roles once performed by biplanes such as the Fairey Swordfish. The Fleet Air Arm was formed in 1924 as an organisational unit of the Royal Air Force, which was then operating the aircraft embarked on RN ships—the Royal Naval Air Service having been merged with the Army's Royal Flying Corps in 1918 to form the Royal Air Force—and did not come under the direct control of the Admiralty until mid-1939. During the Second World War, the Fleet Air Arm operated aircraft on ships as well as land-based aircraft that defended the Royal Navy's shore establishments a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Westland Dragonfly
The Westland WS-51 Dragonfly helicopter was built by Westland Aircraft and was an Anglicised licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-51. Design and development On 19 January 1947 an agreement was signed between Westland Aircraft and Sikorsky to allow a British version of the S-51 to be manufactured under licence in the United Kingdom. These would be powered by the 500 hp Alvis Leonides radial engine. A modified version was also developed by Westland as the Westland Widgeon, but it was commercially unsuccessful. After delays caused by the need to modify and convert American-drawings to reflect British-sourced items and to replace the engine with a British-built Alvis Leonides 50, the prototype was first flown from Yeovil on 5 October 1948 piloted by Alan Bristow. Only 16 months had elapsed since work had begun on building the prototype registered G-AKTW. After evaluation initial orders for the British military were placed, thirteen Dragonfly HR.1s for the Ro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Babcock International
Babcock International Group plc is a British aerospace, defence and nuclear engineering services company based in London, England. It specialises in managing complex assets and infrastructure. Although the company has civil contracts, its main business is with public bodies, particularly the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence and Network Rail. The company has four operating sectors, with overseas operations based in Africa, North America, South America, Europe and Australia. Babcock is listed on the London Stock Exchange, and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. History 1891 to 1979 Babcock International traces its history back to the 19th century and the American heavy industrial manufacturers Babcock & Wilcox Company which had been founded in 1867 by partners Stephen Wilcox and George Babcock to manufacture and market Wilcox's patented water-tube boiler. During the 1870s and 1880s, the company, having decided to expand internationally, developed an initial footprint in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Private Finance Initiative
The private finance initiative (PFI) was a United Kingdom government procurement policy aimed at creating "public–private partnerships" (PPPs) where private firms are contracted to complete and manage public projects. Initially launched in 1992 by Prime Minister John Major, and expanded considerably by the Blair government, PFI is part of the wider programme of privatisation and financialisation, and presented as a means for increasing accountability and efficiency for public spending. PFI was controversial in the UK. In 2003, the National Audit Office felt that it provided good value for money overall; according to critics, PFI has been used simply to place a great amount of debt "off-balance-sheet". In 2011, the parliamentary Treasury Select Committee recommended: In October 2018, the then-chancellor Philip Hammond announced that the UK government would no longer use PFI; however, PFI projects will continue to operate for some time to come. In 2021, Robert Naylor warned ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Plymouth City Airport
Plymouth City Airport is a 'mothballed' airport located within the Plymouth, City of Plymouth north northeast of the city centre in Devon, England at Derriford (formerly Roborough, South Hams, Roborough). The airport opened on this site in 1925 and was officially opened by the future king Edward VIII, as Prince of Wales, in 1931. The airport is owned by Plymouth City Council and leased to Plymouth-based company Sutton Harbour Holdings. In 2009, 157,933 passengers passed through the airport, a sharp increase of 34.0% on the 2008 total of 117,823 making Plymouth one of the few UK airports experiencing significant growth during the period. However, following the withdrawal of London flights in early 2011, the airport's owners said passenger totals had fallen to fewer than 100 a day. The London Stock Exchange was notified on 28 April 2011 that the airport would close by the end of the year. Plymouth City Airport had a Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom), CAA Public Use Ae ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
RAF Roborough
RAF Roborough is a former Royal Air Force station in Roborough located north of Plymouth, Devon which used Plymouth City Airport as their base. History RAF Roborough began when the Air Ministry started to use Plymouth City Airport for exercises between the RAF, Royal Navy and the British Army. The Royal Navy started to use the airport in the late 1930s and was renamed RNAS Roborough however on 1 May 1942 the site was taken over by the Air Ministry for Royal Air Force use primarily for RAF Coastal Command. RNAS Roborough The Admiralty used the airfield for various duties also the airfield played an important role during the Battle of Britain coming under partial control of the No. 10 Group RAF headquarters at RAF Box and had RAF Middle Wallop as their sector station. The first squadron to use the airfield was No. 247 Squadron RAF between 1 August 1940 and 10 February 1941 flying the Gloster Gladiator II before moving to RAF St Eval on 10 February 1941 however after seven day ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miles Gemini
The Miles M.65 Gemini was a British twin-engined four-seat touring aircraft designed and built by Miles Aircraft at Woodley Aerodrome. It was the last Miles aircraft to be produced in quantity. Development of the Gemini was conducted at a rapid pace following the end of the Second World War, the company being keen to bring its new designs to the postwar civil aviation sector. The speed of development was greatly bolstered by basing the design on the single-engined Miles Messenger. First flying on 26 October 1945, the company's confidence in the aircraft was such that sales demonstrations using the prototype started only days later, while efforts to commence large scale production were started immediately. Within its first year of availability, 130 Geminis had been sold, proving its popularity. It performance was such that it became a successful racing aircraft, with one example alone winning numerous competitions. The company endeavoured to introduce numerous improvements upon ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miles Messenger
The Miles M.38 Messenger is a British four-seat liaison and private owner aircraft built by Miles Aircraft. Design and development The Messenger was designed to meet an informal request from a group of British Army officers for a robust, slow speed, low maintenance air observation post and liaison aircraft. The aircraft designed was a cantilever low-wing monoplane with a fixed tailwheel, powered by the de Havilland Gipsy Major 1D inline engine. Fitted with retractable auxiliary wing flaps enabling a wing loading of around 12.5 lb per square foot, the Messenger had triple fins and rudders in order to maintain sufficient controllability down to the exceptionally low stalling speed of 25 mph. The prototype was converted from a Miles M.28 Mercury and first flew at Woodley on 12 September 1942, some three months after the approach by army officers. When informally test flown by an Aerial Observation Post Squadron it was declared a success, meeting all the army's requ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taylorcraft Auster
The Taylorcraft Auster was a British military liaison and observation aircraft produced by the Taylorcraft Aeroplanes (England) Limited company during the Second World War. Design and development The Auster was a twice-removed development of an American Taylorcraft design of civilian aircraft, the Model A. The Model A had to be redesigned in Britain to meet more stringent Civil Aviation standards and was named the Taylorcraft Plus C.Mondey 1994, p. 71.March 2000, p. 225. After the start of the Second World War, the company developed the model further as an Air Observation Post (AOP)—flown by officers of the Royal Artillery and used for directing artillery fire of British Army Royal Artillery units. The Plus C was re-engined with the Blackburn Cirrus Minor I engine and redesignated the Taylorcraft Plus D. Most of the civil Plus Cs and Ds were impressed into Royal Air Force service, the Plus Cs were re-engined with the Cirrus Minor I and redesignated as Plus C2. Prewar t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
_at_an_airshow_in_Australia_in_1998.jpg "Click for more on -> Miles Messenger")
