C.T.P at RAE Farnborough - 1942 period + other questions (test flying)
 

Dear all,
1- Does anyone knows the names of the Chief Test Pilot (C.T.P.) at R.A.E. Farnborough from
April 1942 up to October 1942? (Lowlan? Lowe? The initial seems an L)
2- Is there a full list of the Commanding Officers from the Experimental Section of R.A.E. Farnborough, from 1939 up to 1945? Am looking for the name of a Group Captain that served on that position from January 1942 up to April 1942.
3- Am looking for information (deciphering) about Flying Tests in the Royal Air Force of “what could be”:
* “Queen Mary Resv. Transmitter dropping”. > Was is related to the Queen Mary transport ship? But what about the Resv. abbreviation ??
* C.S. bomb dropping (was it a Capital Ship bomb as mentioned on File AIR 41/81 ?)
Doe someone know more about that C.S. Bomb – (dropped from 700 up to 1000 feet from 4-engined bombers.)
* Boyd cable release > probably something related to the Royal Navy or towing targets....not sure.
* Ricco trials > (something related to R.P. tests). Was it trialling to ricocheting them onto the ground before hitting a target? Was it really tested?
* Flash Altimeters > What was that?
* A.V. bomb sight > What was that? Have searched but got no joy in finding its use and other kind of marcation.

I do thank you for any kind of orientation or information regarding the questions above.

Most sincerely yours,

Adriano S. Baumgartner, ASV 00.344

Re: C.T.P at RAE Farnborough - 1942 period + other questions (test flying)
 

Adriano,

Queen Mary Resv. refers to the Queen Mary Reservoir, a freshwater reservoir just W. of London.

Regards,

Leendert

Re: C.T.P at RAE Farnborough - 1942 period + other questions (test flying)
 

Adriano,

In the online book "The Crucible of War, 1939-1945", p. 677 there's a reference to "Calibrators, Altimeters Flash", some kind of device used when during Gardening operations doubts existed about the altimeter reading. Evidenty "flash" points to pyrotechnics here...

Regards,

Leendert

Re: C.T.P at RAE Farnborough - 1942 period + other questions (test flying)
 

Adriano,

A C.S. bomb is indeed a Capital Ship Bomb. First developments had a diameter of 45", too big for a Lancaster, so was reduced to 38".

It appears some were used on Italian harbours, without success.

Regards,

Leendert

Re: C.T.P at RAE Farnborough - 1942 period + other questions (test flying)
 

I believe the A. V. bombsight was the Angular Velocity Bombsight or Low Level Bombsight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_Le...ight,_Mark_III

At the end of the article in the "External Links" section, there is a link to an interesting war time animated film showing how to use the sight.

Re: C.T.P at RAE Farnborough - 1942 period + other questions (test flying)
 

Dear Leendert and Swank,

DO HAVE NO WORDS TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE!

The dinghy dropping at the Queen Mary Reservatoir were made on Hampdens (3 flights). Thanks for matching this one! I thought the dropping was nearby the Queen Mary (transport) ship, initially!

The Flash Altimeters was a new device I never had heard about before! I just imagined it could be something like a Radio-Altimeter (that I used flying at 300 feet on Survey flights!), but couldn't understand its use...now I do have an idea of its use...yeah, some pirotecnics being dropped just to check position! (...and attract FLAK too!). Flights were made on several twin bombers, on that case...

I do have a file about the RAF bombs, but have not yet "see" the Capital Ship Bomb..but will keep digging....Test flights were all made on Lancasters, with varying speed and low altitude. Interesting indeed.

The A.V. Bombsight literature is incredible...thanks for enlightnining me Swank! The flights I read were made on Hampdens...Nevertheless, I guess they may have been interesting (guessing the pilot's point of view).

I already added your names onto the work I am finishing...Thanks for the clarifying and help! Really! (I was blind on those fields).

Adriano S. Baumgartner, ASV 00.344
baumgartner_asv@yahoo.com.br

Re: C.T.P at RAE Farnborough - 1942 period + other questions (test flying)
 

The Capital Ship Bomb




https://corporalfrisk.com/2014/02/02...-delivered-it/


From another site:


"There is an Appendix on the Capital Ship Bomb on pp. 404-405 of Putnam's "The British Bomber since 1914".
"This has a photo and a diagram, showing that this is not the Grand Slam or its cousins.
"A full scale trial of the CSB was carried out at Boscombe Down on 8 May 1942 using the 3rd production Mk I Lancaster L7529, its bomb bay having been enlarged by bulging the doors. Although the bomb missed its target on this occasion, production examples were produced and delivered before the end of July 1942 to 106 Sqn for operational use. The first such operation was on the docks at Gdynia on the night of 27/28 August 1942 with 3 Lancasters, byt was a total failure due to unexpected cloud over the target. However large flashes indicated that detonation was satisfactory."

Re: C.T.P at RAE Farnborough - 1942 period + other questions (test flying)
 

Dear Ed West,

The pilot am writing about flew some dropping trials with the C.S. Bomb on Albacores and Hampdens in April 1942. Then his first flight on Lancasters was on June...Flights and tests still going in July 1942, from 500 up to 700 feet, with various speeds.

A big THANK YOU for the new information...will try to find the diagram of this bomb...Have seen similar US bomb.

Adriano S. Baumgartner

Re: C.T.P at RAE Farnborough - 1942 period + other questions (test flying)
 

Dear ED,

Just found this: https://www.mycity-military.com/Vazd...uzanje_33.html

So now do have an idea of the Models 38 and 45 and Types...and an idea of the shape of the "thing"

Adriano

Re: C.T.P at RAE Farnborough - 1942 period + other questions (test flying)
 

And this is one of the 106 Sqn Lancasters that were modified to Capital Ship bomb, note the unusually shaped bomb doors.


https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ject/205218651