High Speed Flight RAF

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= High Speed Flight


caption=|Gloster VI "N249" of the High Speed Flight outside the Calshot hangers]
dates= 1927-1931
country= UK
allegiance=
branch= Royal Air Force
type=
role= special unit competing for the Schneider Trophy
size= Flight
command_structure=
garrison=RAF Calshot
garrison_label=Base
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
colors_label=
march=
mascot=
decorations=
disbanded=
commander1=
commander1_label=
commander2=
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commander3=
commander3_label=
notable_commanders=

The RAF High Speed Flight, sometimes known as " 'The Flight' ", was a small flight of the Royal Air Force (RAF) formed for the purpose of competing in the Schneider Trophy contest for racing seaplanes during the 1920s.

The Flight was together only until the Trophy was won outright after which it was disbanded.

Background

In the Schneider Trophy race of 1926 both competing countries, Italy and the USA, had used military pilots. There had not been time to arrange a British team to compete. The British defeat of 1925 was held to be the result of technical inferiority and lack of organisation.cite web
title=Supermarine S.5 - 1927 Schneider Trophy - Venice, Italy
url=http://www.racingcampbells.com/content/campbell.archives/schneider.1927.asp
publisher= [http://www.racingcampbells.com Racing Campbells] ] The Air Ministry financed a British team drawn from the RAF with the result that the High Speed Flight was formed at the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment Felixstowe in preparation for the 1927 race. cite web
title=Schneider Trophy - The 1927 Race
url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/history_old/schneider3.html
publisher=RAF]

1927

For the 1927 competition, six aircraft, from three manufacturers, were taken to Venice: a pair of Supermarine S.5s, three Gloster IVs and a single Short Crusader. The Crusader was slower than the others and was used for training until it was written off in a crash. The cause was later identified as a control rigging error, following re-assembly after the journey.

The Supermarine S.5s came in first and second, with neither the Gloster nor the three Italian aircraft completeing the race. As the winning nation, the UK would host the following event. This was the last annual competition. Subsequently the race was held on a biannual schedule to allow more time for development between races.

The Flight was wound up within weeks of the 1931 victory, it having served its purpose.

Aircraft operated

* 1927
** Gloster I (training)
** Gloster IVB
** Supermarine S.5
** Short Crusader
* 1929
** Gloster VI
** Supermarine S.6
* 1931
** Supermarine S.6A
** Supermarine S.6B

Notes

References