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Royal Air Force Marine Branch
The Marine Branch (1918–1986) was a branch of the Royal Air Force (RAF) which operated watercraft in support of RAF operations. Just days after the creation of the RAF itself, the Marine Craft Section (MCS) was created with the transfer of Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) vessels and personnel to the new service. Originally tasked with the support of RNAS, and later RAF, seaplanes, Marine Craft Section was to achieve its greatest size during the Second World War, and achieved fame for its role in air-sea rescue operations. After the war MCS was granted full branch status on 11 December 1947; however, post-war the role of the new branch became greatly reduced with the end of the British Empire, the withdrawal of flying boats from service, and the increasing use of helicopters in air-sea rescue. The branch was disestablished on 8 January 1986. History Formation In 1918 the RAF was established through the merging of the aviation arms of the Royal Navy, the Royal Navy Air Service ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Royal Air Force Ensign
The Royal Air Force Ensign is the official flag that is used to represent the Royal Air Force. The ensign has a field of air force blue, with the United Kingdom's flag in the canton and the Royal Air Force's roundel in the middle of the fly. The RAF Ensign was introduced in 1921, after some opposition from senior members of the Royal Navy. Various countries' air force ensigns have been based on the RAF's ensign. Currently, it is flown from the flagstaff of every Royal Air Force station during daylight hours, and it has been permanently displayed on the Cenotaph in London since 1943. Early history and authorisation Ever since the formation of the RAF in 1918, the Air Council had wanted to introduce a flag which would be flown at RAF stations. However, the Admiralty had the right to veto the introduction of any new flag that was to be flown within the British Empire or on a British vessel. Although the Admiralty were initially opposed to granting the RAF its own flag, aft ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seaplane Tender
A seaplane tender is a boat or ship that supports the operation of seaplanes. Some of these vessels, known as seaplane carriers, could not only carry seaplanes but also provided all the facilities needed for their operation; these ships are regarded by some as the first aircraft carriers and appeared just before the First World War. Terminology In maritime parlance a tender is a vessel that is used to support the operation of other vessels. In British usage, the term tender was used for small craft, with the term depot ship being used for large seagoing vessels. Flying boats and float planes even when based at home in ports and harbour had a need for small support vessels to operate.p British tenders were small craft of launch to pinnace size. These were used to ferry crews, stores and supplies between shore and the aircraft, to maintain the buoys used to mark out "taxiways" and "runways" and to keep these clear of debris to prevent foreign object damage, and in the case ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miss Britain III
''Miss Britain III'' is a racing power boat designed and built by Hubert Scott-Paine. In 1932, Scott-Paine asked Rolls-Royce for a 'R' engine which had powered the winning entrant in the 1931 Schneider Trophy. He planned to challenge Garfield 'Gar' Wood's '' Miss America X'' for the Harmsworth Trophy. No engine was then available so there the matter rested. In February 1933, with the success of his Power-Napier engine to which he had exclusive rights, Scott-Paine issued his challenge for the Harmsworth Trophy. Within less than ten weeks, he had designed and built ''Miss Britain III'' in conditions of great secrecy at his Hythe workshops. The result was revolutionary, with stringers of metal-reinforced wood and aluminium cladding, a single Napier Lion VIID engine, and a length of only . The attention to detail is evident in the thousands of duralumin countersunk screws with the slots all in line with the water or air flow. George Selman designed a new propeller after ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hubert Scott-Paine
Hubert Scott-Paine (11 March 1891 – 14 April 1954) was a British aircraft and boat designer, record-breaking power boat racer, entrepreneur, inventor, and sponsor of the winning entry in the 1922 Schneider Trophy. Early life Hubert Paine was born in Shoreham-by-Sea, England, on 11 March 1891, to Henry Paine and Rosannah (née Scott). He was educated at Shoreham Grammar School.Rance. Fast Boats and Flying Boats. p. 10 Supermarine Scott-Paine worked for Noel Pemberton Billing dealing in yachts, eventually in 1913 forming Pemberton-Billing Ltd (with 'Supermarine' as the telegraphic address), with Hubert the factory manager at Woolston, Hampshire. In 1916 Scott-Paine bought the company and renamed it the Supermarine Aviation Company Limited, building flying boats for the British Admiralty. Reginald Mitchell (of Spitfire fame) was employed at this time and the company greatly expanded. Hubert married Alice Brenda Hockey in 1917, having four children. By this time he had c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
RAF Mount Batten
Royal Air Force Mount Batten, or more simply RAF Mount Batten, is a former Royal Air Force station and flying boat base at Mount Batten, a peninsula in Plymouth Sound, Devon, England, UK. Originally a seaplane station opened in 1917 as a Royal Navy Air Service Station Cattewater it became RAF Cattewater in 1918 and in 1928 was renamed RAF Mount Batten. The base is named after Captain Batten, a Civil War commander who defended this area at the time, with the Mountbatten family motto ''In Honour Bound'' taken as the station's motto. Today, little evidence of the RAF base remains apart from several memorials, some aviation-related road names, the main slipway and two impressive Grade II listed F-type aeroplane hangars dating from 1917. History Royal Naval Air Station Cattewater As early as 1913 the sheltered Cattewater in Plymouth Sound was used for seaplane trials and in 1916 plans to open a Royal Navy seaplane station were agreed. In February 1917 RNAS Cattewater was opened. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ensign (flag)
An ensign is a maritime flag that is used for the national identification of a ship. It is the largest flag and is generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. Depending on the ship's origin, it may sometimes be identical with a Jack (flag), jack on the Bow (watercraft), bow of the ship when in a port. Jacks are more common on Warship, warships than on Merchant ship, merchant ships. Etymology The Middle English is derived from the Latin word . Vexillology Vexillologists distinguish between three varieties of ensigns: *A state ensign or government ensign (Vexillological symbol, usage symbol ) is worn by government vessels of official government agencies or civilian equipped auxiliary ships. *A naval ensign (usage symbol ) is worn by a country's navy as a war flag for military ships. The term "war flag" is used irrespective of if a given country is at war. Large versions of naval ensigns called battle ensigns are used when a warship goes into battle. The ensign ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Seaplane Bases In The United Kingdom
This article lists both active and historic seaplane bases in the United Kingdom, many of which were either used for, or planned to be used for, the defence of the UK. A seaplane base may be anything from a stretch of water where seaplanes were based to a full installation, either floating ( powered or unpowered) or shore based, where seaplanes were serviced. In the UK these are presumed to be coastal. Active seaplane bases *Glasgow Seaplane Terminal, Glasgow * Oban Bay, Oban *Loch Lomond * Tobermory, Isle of Mull *Enniskillen Proposed seaplane base * Royal Albert Docks, London City Airport. Former bases *RAF Alness, Alness, Ross and Cromarty *Bembridge Harbour, Isle of Wight (1915-1919) * Brough Aerodrome, East Riding of Yorkshire *RNAS Calshot/RAF Calshot, Hampshire * RAF Castle Archdale, Lough Erne, Northern IrelandLondon 2003, pp. 288–290. * RAF Catfirth, Shetland Islands (1917-1919) *Cromarty, Ross & Cromarty (1913-1915) *RNAS Donibristle, Dalgety Bay, Fife *RNAS Dundee ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was founded in 1936, when the RAF was restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal commands and played an important role during the Second World War. Maritime Aviation had been neglected in the inter-war period, due to disagreements between the Royal Navy (RN) and RAF over the ownership, roles and investment in maritime air power.Buckley, 2018. p.85 The Admiralty's main concern until 1937 was the return of the Fleet Air Arm to the Royal Navy while the RAF concentrated on the development of a bombing force to provide a deterrent. Coastal Command was referred to as the "Cinderella Service" by A V Alexander, the First Lord of the Admiralty in November 1940. Soon after RAF Coastal Area was elevated to Coastal Command, its headquarters moved from Lee-on-Solent to Northwood in northwest London. During the Second World War, Coastal Command's most important contribution was the protection of Allied convoys ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Interwar Period
In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II (WWII). It was relatively short, yet featured many social, political, military, and economic changes throughout the world. Petroleum-based energy production and associated mechanisation led to the prosperous Roaring Twenties, a time of social mobility, social and economic mobility for the middle class. Automobiles, electric lighting, radio, and more became common among populations in the developed world, first world. The era's indulgences were followed by the Great Depression, an unprecedented worldwide economic downturn that severely damaged many of the world's largest economies. Politically, the era coincided with the rise of communism, starting in Russia with the October Revolution and Russian Civil War, at the end of WWI, and ended with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Target Tug
A target tug is an aircraft which tows an unmanned drone, a fabric drogue or other kind of target, for the purposes of gun or missile target practice. Target tugs are often conversions of transport and utility aircraft, as well as obsolescent combat types. Some, such as the Miles Martinet, were specially designed for the role. Flying a target tug was, and is, a relatively hazardous job, as live fire is typically employed and the people doing the shooting are usually still in training. History World War 2 Prior to and during World War II target tugs were typically operated by the air arms on behalf of which they flew, and were usually conversions of aircraft that had failed in combat or that were otherwise unsuitable or obsolete in their design roles (see Fairey Battle and Short Sturgeon). These aircraft typically trailed a drogue fabric sleeve at the end of a several-thousand metre long cable. Student fighter pilots or air gunners would shoot at the target from other aircr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ground Support Equipment
Ground support equipment (GSE) is the support equipment found at an airport, usually on the apron, the servicing area by the terminal. This equipment is used to service the aircraft between flights. As the name suggests, ground support equipment is there to support the operations of aircraft whilst on the ground. The role of this equipment generally involves ground power operations, aircraft mobility, and cargo/passenger loading operations. Many airlines subcontract ground handling to an airport or a handling agent, or even to another airline. Ground handling addresses the many service requirements of a passenger aircraft between the time it arrives at a terminal gate and the time it departs for its next flight. Speed, efficiency, and accuracy are important in ground handling services in order to minimize the turnaround time (the time during which the aircraft remains parked at the gate). Small airlines sometimes subcontract maintenance to a larger carrier, as it may be a bett ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
