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Boyd Trophy
The Boyd Trophy is a silver model of a Fairey Swordfish, which was presented by the Fairey Aviation Company, Fairey Aviation Company Limited in 1946, in commemoration of the work for Naval Aviation of Admiral Sir Denis Boyd, Order of the Bath, KCB, CBE, Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom), DSC RN. It is awarded annually to the naval pilot(s) or aircrew who, in the opinion of the Flag Officer, Naval Air Command, has achieved the finest feat of aviation during the previous year. It is held by the ship, station or establishment in which the winner(s) was/were serving at the time the winning feat was achieved. References ;Citations ;Bibliography * Ray Sturtivant, ''Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm'', Air Britain (Historians) Ltd. *{{cite book , last1=Sturtivant , first1=R , last2=Ballance , first2=T , title=The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm , year=1994 , publisher=Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd , location=Tonbridge, Kent, UK , isbn=0-85130-223-8 , ref= {{harvid, Sturti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish is a biplane torpedo bomber, designed by the Fairey Aviation Company. Originating in the early 1930s, the Swordfish, nicknamed "Stringbag", was principally operated by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. It was also used by the Royal Air Force (RAF), as well as several overseas operators, including the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and the Royal Netherlands Navy. It was initially operated primarily as a fleet attack aircraft. During its later years, the Swordfish was increasingly used as an Anti-submarine warfare, anti-submarine and Trainer (aircraft), training platform. The type was in frontline service throughout the World War II, Second World War. Despite being outmoded by 1939, the Swordfish achieved some spectacular successes during the war. Notable events included sinking one battleship and damaging two others of the ''Regia Marina'' (the Italian navy) during the Battle of Taranto, and the famous attack on the German battleship Bismarck, German b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
802 Naval Air Squadron
802 Naval Air Squadron (802 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Early history 802 Squadron was formed on 3 April 1933 aboard by the merger of two independent Royal Air Force naval units, 408 (Fleet Fighter) Flight and 409 (Fleet Fighter) Flight. By 1939, 802 Squadron was operating from (Dekhelia) in Egypt where, like all Fleet Air Arm units, it was taken over by the Admiralty on 24 May 1939. Aircraft * Nimrod I S1579 571 * Osprey I K2783 * Osprey III K3643 549 * Osprey III Seaplane K3644 590 Second World War In April 1940 802 Squadron was serving aboard ''Glorious'' with twelve Gloster Sea Gladiators when the ship was recalled to participate in the defence of Norway. The squadron ceased to exist after ''Glorious'' was sunk by the German battleships '' Scharnhorst'' and '' Gneisenau'' on 8 June 1940 during the defence of Norway. Reformed from part of 804 Squadron on 21 November 1940 with Martlet Is, the squadron sub-flights embarked on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Westland Wessex
The Westland Wessex is a British-built turbine-powered development of the Sikorsky H-34 (in US service known as Choctaw). It was developed and produced under licence by Westland Aircraft (later Westland Helicopters). One of the main changes from Sikorsky's H-34 was the replacement of the piston-engine powerplant with a turboshaft engine. Early models were powered by a single Napier Gazelle engine, while later builds used a pair of de Havilland Gnome engines. The Wessex was initially produced for the Royal Navy (RN) and later for the Royal Air Force (RAF); a limited number of civilian aircraft were also produced, as well as some export sales. The Wessex operated as an anti-submarine warfare and utility helicopter; it is perhaps best recognised for its use as a search and rescue (SAR) helicopter. The type entered operational service in 1961, and had a service life in excess of 40 years before being retired in Britain. Design and development In 1956, an American-built S-58 wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
815 Naval Air Squadron
815 Naval Air Squadron is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron flying the AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA.2 helicopter and is the Navy's front line Wildcat Naval Air Squadron. The squadron is based at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron) in Somerset. The squadron is capable of carrying out multiple roles such as: counter-narcotics, anti-piracy, Above Surface Warfare (ASW), search and rescue, disaster relief and flying and engineering training. In the early 2000s, the Navy said that the squadron was largest helicopter squadron in Europe. History Second World War The squadron formed at RNAS Worthy Down on 9 October 1939, from the remnants of 811 and 822 squadrons that had survived the sinking of their carrier in September 1939, with Fairey Swordfish aircraft. The squadron disbanded in November 1939 but reformed the same month. In May 1940 the squadron provided support to the Dunkirk evacuation. In June 1940, the squadron embarked on and sailed for the Mediterranean in August, attacking and min ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent, being about 40% larger than Europe, and has an area of . Most of Antarctica is covered by the Antarctic ice sheet, with an average thickness of . Antarctica is, on average, the coldest, driest, and windiest of the continents, and it has the highest average elevation. It is mainly a polar desert, with annual precipitation of over along the coast and far less inland. About 70% of the world's freshwater reserves are frozen in Antarctica, which, if melted, would raise global sea levels by almost . Antarctica holds the record for the lowest measured temperature on Earth, . The coastal regions can reach temperatures over in summer. Native species of animals include mites, nematodes, penguins, seals and tardigrades. Where vegetation o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
831 Naval Air Squadron
831 Naval Air Squadron (831 NAS) was a List of Fleet Air Arm aircraft squadrons, Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. The squadron was reformed twice: firstly from 21 November 1955 - 10 December 1957 and then from 1 May 1958 - 26 August 1966. The cartoon character Flook (comic strip), ''Flook'' was adopted as a squadron mascot in the era following World War 2 and painted as nose art on aircraft. References {{Royal Naval Air Squadrons 800 series Fleet Air Arm squadrons Military units and formations established in 1941 Military units and formations of the Royal Navy in World War II ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
781 Naval Air Squadron
781 Naval Air Squadron (781 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Aircraft operated The squadron operated a variety of different aircraft and versions between 1947 & 1981: * North American Harvard T.2b & T.3 * Hawker Sea Fury F.10, FB.11 & T.20 * Gloster Meteor T.7 * Fairey Swordfish TS.3 * de Havilland Vampire T.11/22 * de Havilland Sea Vampire T.22 * Boulton Paul Sea Balliol T.21 * de Havilland Sea Devon C.20 * Percival Sea Prince C.1, C.2 & T.1 * de Havilland Tiger Moth T.2 * Westland Whirlwind HAR.1, HAR.3, HAS.7 & HAS.22 * Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.6 * Westland Wessex HU.5 * de Havilland Sea Heron C.2 * de Havilland Heron The de Havilland DH.114 Heron is a small propeller-driven British airliner that first flew on 10 May 1950. It was a development of the twin-engine de Havilland Dove, with a stretched fuselage and two more engines. It was designed as a rugged ... C.4 & CC.4 * de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 References Citations B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
845 Naval Air Squadron
845 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Part of the Commando Helicopter Force, it is a specialist amphibious unit operating the AgustaWestland Commando Merlin HC4 helicopter and provides troop transport and load lifting support to 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. In 2012, the squadron celebrated 50 years since it was awarded "commando" status. The squadron is based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset. Role The primary role of the squadron is to support the Royal Marines in amphibious assaults and wartime environments. It conducts medium-lift frontline operations in a variety of environments including desert, arctic, jungle and maritime. The squadron mainly conducts troop carrying, load-lifting, and maritime interdiction missions but can also perform CASEVAC and deployed SAR duties. They are the spearhead of the Commando Helicopter Force, held at high-readiness, and are a key part of the Royal Navy's expeditionary wartime capability. History Beginni ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Westland Whirlwind (helicopter)
The Westland Whirlwind helicopter was a British licence-built version of the U.S. Sikorsky S-55/H-19 Chickasaw. It primarily served with the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm in anti-submarine and search and rescue roles. Design and development In 1950, Westland Aircraft, already building the American Sikorsky S-51 under licence as the Westland Dragonfly, purchased the rights to manufacture and sell Sikorsky's larger Sikorsky S-55 helicopter. While a Sikorsky-built pattern aircraft was flown by Westland in June 1951, converting the design to meet British standards (including the provision of a revised main-rotor gearbox), was time consuming,James 1991, pp.320–321. and the first prototype British aircraft, registered ''G-AMJT'', powered by the 600 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340-40 Wasp did not fly until August 1953.James 1991, p.322. This was followed by ten Whirlwind HAR.1s, which entered service shortly afterwards. They served in non-combat roles, including search and rescue ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pentland Firth
The Pentland Firth ( gd, An Caol Arcach, meaning the Orcadian Strait) is a strait which separates the Orkney Islands from Caithness in the north of Scotland. Despite the name, it is not a firth. Etymology The name is presumed to be a corruption of the Old Norse "Petlandsfjörð", meaning "the fjord of Pictland", and is completely unrelated to the Pentland Hills near Edinburgh. Prior to the Norse occupation of Orkney the strait was known as the "Sea of Orcs" – a reference to the Picts, Pictish tribe who inhabited Orkney. Such was their marine prowess that there are also instances of this name referring to the sea lanes of the entire west coast of Scotland down to Kintyre. One version of the 9th-century ''Historia Brittonum'' states that "the Britons originally filled the whole island with their peoples from the English Channel to the Sea of Orcs". Geography On the Caithness (southern) side the Firth extends from Dunnet Head in the west to Duncansby Head point, Duncansby Head i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
RAF Lossiemouth
Royal Air Force Lossiemouth or more commonly RAF Lossiemouth is a military airfield located on the western edge of the town of Lossiemouth in Moray, north-east Scotland. Lossiemouth is one of the largest and busiest fast-jet stations in the Royal Air Force and known for its close proximity to flight training areas in Scotland and its favourable local flying conditions. Since the closure of RAF Leuchars in 2015, Lossiemouth is the only operational RAF station in Scotland and is one of two main operating bases for the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 in the United Kingdom. It is home to four front-line fast jet units which operate the Typhoon: No. 1 Squadron, No. 2 Squadron, No. 6 Squadron and No. 9 Squadron. All four Squadrons contribute to the Quick Reaction Alert (Interceptor) North capability which provides continuous protection of UK airspace. It is also home to No. 120 Squadron and No. 201 Squadron, both flying the Poseidon MRA1 in the maritime patrol role. It has also b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hawker Sea Hawk
The Hawker Sea Hawk is a British single-seat jet day fighter formerly of the Fleet Air Arm (FAA), the air branch of the Royal Navy (RN), built by Hawker Aircraft and its sister company, Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. Although its design originated from earlier Hawker piston-engined fighters, the Sea Hawk was the company's first jet aircraft. Following acceptance in the RN, the Sea Hawk proved to be a reliable and sturdy workhorse. A considerable number were also produced for the export market and were operated from aircraft carriers in Dutch and Indian service. The last operational Sea Hawks, operated by the Indian Navy, were retired in 1983. Design and development Origins Towards the end of the Second World War, Hawker's design team had become increasingly interested in developing a fighter aircraft that took advantage of the newly developed jet propulsion technology. Prior to this, Hawker had been committed until late 1944 to the production and further development of its pis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
