Talk:RAF Defford

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Latest comment: 14 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion

The article includes a huge amount of detail but is completely unreferenced. Please see WP:OR
Some cuts have `been parke here temporarily, but the entire article may have ot be stubbed if no references for all the details can be provided.--Kudpung (talk) 16:31, 28 January 2010 (UTC)Reply

Until then, Valiant WP200, which was flown by a TFU/RRFU crew (Captained usually by Wg Cdr 'Titch' Havercroft), on NBS/NBC development trials, had flown from RAF Gaydon. During this period, about twenty different aircraft types (jet, piston and helicopter) were based at Defford. These included various Marks and numbers of Vampire NF11 and T10, Venom NF3, a Whirlwind Mk 1, Canberra T3, B2, B6 PR3 and BI8 (many with non-standard radar nose cones, and Avro Ashton III WB492. Other, piston engine, types included a De Haviland Dominie (bi-plane, cruise speed about 75 knots), Devon, Lincoln, Shackleton, Hermes, Hastings, Valetta, Varsity, Wayfarer and Marathon. Many of these aircraft were fitted with experimental or development airborne radars (e.g. AI17, AI18, AI20 (which became Red Steer, a tail-warning radar for the V-bombers), ASV Mk13, H2S Mk9, Doppler Navigation (Green Satin & Blue Silk) and experimental sidescan navigation and reconnaissance radars, etc). Others were fitted with radar or infra-red seeker heads for anti-aircraft ground-to-air or air-to-air missile systems (e.g. Bloodhound and Yellow River). Other aircraft types acted mainly as targets for AI or Missile Radar systems, or for long range Early Warning radars, then under development. These included the Type 80 series of Early Warning radar, and a Height Finder radar (TPS3?). The main Type 80 development radar was located at Bard Hill on the Norfolk coast; Canberra and Meteor NF11/14 aircraft would fly from Defford, pass overhead Bard Hill and over the North Sea to a range of 280 nm from the English coast at between 40,000 and 48,000 feet, returning to Defford after two such runs. Other ground based AA and ground-air missile radars were based on the Isle of Anglesey and coast of Wales; Defford aircraft acted as targets for these as well. Valiant WB200 dropped bombs, aimed and released using the NBC/NBS system under development for the three V-bombers, the Valiant, Victor and Vulcan. Bombs were typically released from 40,000 feet. The Avro Ashton WB492 was also used for this development work before Valiant WB200 was made available. Unfortunately, the Ashton could not be fully pressurised (for technical reasons); in consequence it could only remain at 35,000 ft for a limited period of time, until the crew began to suffer the effects of 'bends' (an excess of nitrogen in the blood stream).

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