The Central Fighter Establishment was a

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

formation that dealt with the development of

fighter aircraft Fighter aircraft (early on also ''pursuit aircraft'') are military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air supremacy, air superiority of the battlespace. Domina ...

tactics which was formed on 4 September 1944 as a nucleus at

RAF Tangmere Royal Air Force Tangmere or more simply RAF Tangmere is a former Royal Air Force (RAF) station located in Tangmere, England, famous for its role in the Battle of Britain. It was one of several stations near Chichester, West Sussex. The Seco ...

. It also tested new fighter aircraft and equipment, and with the training of squadron and flight commanders. It was officially formed on 16 October 1944 at

RAF Wittering Royal Air Force Wittering or more simply RAF Wittering is a Royal Air Force station within the unitary authority area of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire and the unitary authority area of North Northamptonshire. Although Stamford in Lincolnshire ...

as part of

No. 12 Group RAF No. 12 Group RAF (12 Gp) of the Royal Air Force was a group, a military formation, that existed over two separate periods, namely the end of the First World War when it had a training function and from just prior to the Second World War until t ...

, and was disbanded on 1 February 1966 while at

RAF Binbrook Royal Air Force Binbrook or RAF Binbrook is a former Royal Air Force station located near Binbrook, Lincolnshire, England. The old domestic site (married quarters) has been renamed to become the village of Brookenby. RAF Binbrook was primaril ...

Airfields used

Units

All except where noted: * Air Fighting Development Squadron formed 1 October 1944 at Wittering. Previously Air Fighting Development Unit. Disbanded 1 February 1966 at Binbrook and became the Fighter Command Trials Unit. * Air Support Development Squadron * All-Weather Development Squadron formed at 1 February 1956 at West Raynham. Previously All-Weather Wing. Disbanded during August 1959 at West Raynham and absorbed by the Air Fighting Development Squadron. Operated

Gloster Meteor The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' only jet aircraft to engage in combat operations during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turbojet engines, pioneere ...

s and

Gloster Javelin The Gloster Javelin is a twin-engined all-weather interceptor aircraft designed and produced by the Gloster Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force from the mid-1950s until the late 1960s and was the final aircraft design to b ...

s. * All-Weather Fighter Combat School formed 15 March 1958 at West Raynham. Previously All-Weather Fighter Leaders School. Disbanded 1 July 1962 at West Raynham and became the Javelin Operational Conversion Squadron. * All-Weather Fighter Leaders School from July 1950 at West Raynham as part of the Fighter Combat School. Previously Night Fighter Leaders School. Disbanded 15 March 1958 at West Raynham became the All-Weather Fighter Combat School. * All-Weather Wing formed 3 July 1950 at West Raynham. Previously Night Fighter Wing. Disbanded during February 1956 at West Raynham and became the All-Weather Development Squadron. * Day Fighter Combat Squadron formed on 15 March 1958 at West Raynham within the Fighter Combat School. Disbanded on 1 November 1965 at Binbrook. * Day Fighter Development Wing joined CFE on 27 December 1944 at Wittering. * Day Fighter Leaders School formed 27 December 1944 at Wittering. Previously Fighter Leaders School. Became 15 March 1958 at West Raynham and became the Day Fighter Combat Squadron. * Day Fighter Training Squadron * Enemy Aircraft Flight operated between 17 January 1945 and December 1945 at Tangmere. It was previously

No. 1426 (Enemy Aircraft) Flight RAF No. 1426 (Enemy Aircraft) Flight RAF, nicknamed the Rafwaffe, was a Royal Air Force (RAF) independent aircraft flight formed during the Second World War to evaluate captured enemy aircraft and demonstrate their characteristics to other allied uni ...

. * Fighter/Bomber Training Squadron * Fighter Combat School formed on 15 March 1958 at West Raynham. Consisted of Day Fighter Combat Squadron and All-Weather Fighter Combat School. Disbanded. * Fighter Command Instrument Rating Flight formed during February 1956 at West Raynham. Previously Fighter Command Instrument Training Squadron. Disbanded 1 January 1960 at West Raynham and became the Fighter Command Instrument Rating Squadron. * Fighter Command Instrument Rating Squadron formed on 1 January 1960 at West Raynham. Previously Fighter Command Instrument Rating Flight. Disbanded on 1 June 1963 at Middleton St. George and merged with the Lightning Conversion Squadron to become No. 226 Operational Conversion Unit RAF. * Fighter Command Instrument Training Flight formed on 13 September 1948 at Tangmere. Joined CFE on 20 February 1950 while at West Raynham. Disbanded on 1 December 1951 at West Raynham and became the Fighter Command Instrument Training Squadron * Fighter Command Instrument Training Squadron formed on 1 December 1951 at West Raynham. Joined CFE on 1 December 1952. Previously Fighter Command Instrument Training Flight. Disbanded February 1956 at West Raynham and became the Fighter Command Instrument Rating Flight. * Fighter Command Target Facilities Squadron formed at 3 August 1961 at Leeming. Previously part of No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit RAF. Joined CFE on 10 August 1961 at West Raynham. Disbanded on 1 April 1963 at West Raynham and became No. 85 Squadron RAF. * Fighter Experimental Flight (1944-46) * Fighter Interception Development Squadron (Ford 1944-50) became Radar Interception Development Squadron * Fighter Leaders School (1944-?) * Fighter Support Development Squadron (1951-??) * Fighter Support Development Unit (1951) became Fighter Support Development Squadron * Fighter Weapons School (1955-1958 as part of the Central Gunnery School) (1958-) * Javelin Operational Conversion Squadron (1962) * Lightning Conversion Squadron (1960-62) * Naval Air Fighting Development Squadron (1945-56) * Night All-Weather Wing (1957-??) * Night Fighter Development Wing at Ford (1944-49) became Night Fighter Wing * Night Fighter Leaders School (1945-50) became All-Weather Fighter Leaders School * Night Fighter Training Squadron (1945) became Night Fighter Leaders School * Night Fighter Wing (1949-50) became All-Weather Wing * Radar Interception Development Squadron (1950-53)

Commandant

References

Citations

Bibliography

* *{{cite book , last1=Sturtivant, first1=Ray, last2=Hamlin, first2=John, title=Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912 , year=2007 , publisher= Air-Britain (Historians), location=

Tonbridge Tonbridge ( ) (historic spelling ''Tunbridge'') is a market town in Kent, England, on the River Medway, north of Royal Tunbridge Wells, south west of Maidstone and south east of London. In the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Mall ...

, UK, isbn=978-0851-3036-59 Air force test units and formations Military history of Norfolk Military units and formations of the Royal Air Force Organisations based in Norfolk Science and technology in Norfolk