Gloster F9/37 at exeter with GRU.
 

Hi All,
With most of my stuff/files still packed,all at the back of the garage.

A hopefully easy question for fellow board members.

Anyone know the dates the gloster f9/37 was at exeter with the GRU, from memory I think only L7999 was there, but I will be gladly proved wrong if someone says L8002 was as well.

Cheers
Jerry

Re: Gloster F9/37 at exeter with GRU.
 

Jerry

Not sure what you mean with GRU (General Reconnaissance Unit, Gunnery Research Unit?), but none of my second hand sources mentions anything which could be interpreted as these two prototypes ever belonged to a GRU. The best source (Phil Butler's article in Aeromilitaria - Winter 2008, says that prototype went to A&AEE at Martlesham Heath and had completed trials in July 1940. Second prototype most probably also went to A&AEE in Feb 1940 although it never underwent any official trials. Although not stated, but indicated, the two prototypes went back to Gloster and stayed there until 1942 when they were assigned to GI use and L7999 became 2683M and L8002 2684M and went to Halton and Cosford respectively.

Cheers
Stig

Re: Gloster F9/37 at exeter with GRU.
 

Hi Stig,
thanks for the reply, I should have been more clearer, it was gunnery research unit.
So failing any other replies, i will have to find my notes from the PRO - NA, that mentioned it, but they are in the garage.
At least the dates you provided help me tie it down as between aug 41 ( when 307 Sqn first got beaufighters) and 1942, as supposedly 307Sqn flew it un-officially and prefered it to their beaufighters.
Cheers
Jerry

Re: Gloster F9/37 at exeter with GRU.
 

Hello Jerry & Stig,

Just to add that AB's RAF L1000- N9999 only hasfor
L7999 and L8002 - Mkrs & AAEE Taurus engines. To 2863M and 2864M 1.4.43.
Photos show on page 108 L7999 with Taurus and L8002 with Peregrine engines.

All the very best
Alex

Re: Gloster F9/37 at exeter with GRU.
 

Hi Alex,
Thanks for the info.
Seems I will have to find my old notes, Looks like i have to tidy the garage soon, it's due for a spring clear out anyway.
cheers
Jerry

Re: Gloster F9/37 at exeter with GRU.
 

Hi All,
Just an update,for those interested, I found a few pages of my notes, unfortunately the notes are not all together.........
But it gives the dates for 1940, but I am still haven't found the later dates.
L7999 arrived 10 june 1940 at GRU Exeter
L7999 left GRU 7 August 1940.
Cheers
Jerry

Ref PRO/NA AIR 29/768

Re: Gloster F9/37 at exeter with GRU.
 

Thanks Jerry

A bit odd dates since they seems to clash with its period with A&AEE....

Cheers
Stig

Re: Gloster F9/37 at exeter with GRU.
 

Hi
Yeah, I had a similar problem with the aeroplane whirlwind database, some of the facts printed didn't match up with the ORB's at the PRO/NA etc.
I maybe old school.. I tend to go with the ORB's & SRB's, etc, first.
On the theory if the a/c wasn't there then how did the guy get the details to write it down.
Cheers
Jerry

Re: Gloster F9/37 at exeter with GRU.
 

I'm not sure there's that much of a contradiciton here: GRU was after all A Flight of A&AEE's armament testing squadron under another name. I've also noticed that the movement cards for aircraft that were being used for trials and development purposes often don't show all the moves an aircraft might have made between various testing establishments.

Niall

Re: Gloster F9/37 at exeter with GRU.
 

Niall

True enough since GRU was formed on June 3rd 1940, the date listed as transferred to this unit is very possible indeed. The trials, as listed by Jerry, ended in August so there was ample time to get back to Gloster again for the Merlin allotment trials in November (which never took place).

However there is a puzzle with the armament, and it has been pointed out to me that the L7999 seems only to be armed with 2 x 0.303 Brownings in early May 1940 when a series of photos were taken at Boscombe Down.
Surely the reason for being with the GRU would be that it carried some heavier stuff. Anyone who can confirm that 20 mm cannons were actually fitted? Or what were they actually testing on the F9/37 at Exeter??

Cheers
Stig

Re: Gloster F9/37 at exeter with GRU.
 

Hi Niall,
Interesting, I never actually associated the link before................dooh..............

I now wonder if that would explain a whirlwind at exeter before 263sqn arrived, I was told once that there was one there during the battle of britain.

I always assumed it was just a visitor from westlands, But I suppose it could have been either L6844 or L6845, on cannon trials, with the GRU.

or maybe even comparism flights with the F9/37 ?

Cheers
Jerry

Re: Gloster F9/37 at exeter with GRU.
 

Hi Jerry
It wouldn’t surprise me at all. A&AEE seem to have a lot (most?) of their air firing at stations other than Boscombe Down or over the sea. For example, for the first air firing trials of the Whirlwind Isherwood took L6845 to Warmwell in late September 1939.
If a Whirlwind was at Exeter during the Battle of Britain period, the only candidate is the first prototype which was subject to air firing tests with the single Hydran worm-drive feed (but not the full set of 4) in July, and with the Chatellerault belt feed in September/October. Who knows? Some of that testing could have been done at GRU.
Niall

Re: Gloster F9/37 at exeter with GRU.
 

Hi Niall,
thanks for the reply & comments, and my apologies for my bad spelling !!
Cheers
Jerry