Gloster F9/37 at exeter with GRU.

[niallc]

Originally Posted by Stig Jarlevik

Thanks Jerry

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

Cheers
Stig

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

[Stig Jarlevik]

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

[brewerjerry]

Originally Posted by niallc

..... GRU was after all A Flight of A&AEE's armament testing squadron under another name....... Niall

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

[niallc]

Originally Posted by brewerjerry

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.

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

[brewerjerry]

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