Operational Testing of New Aircraft

Pips · 7 August 2006, 10:26 PM

I've often wondered what factors lead to a particular Squadron/Jasta/Escadrille being selected to debut the latest aircraft (whatever the time period).

And I'm hoping that we can establish at least the unit (and date) that introduced any particular aircraft to operational use - even if not the reason why that unit may have been chosen.

I'll start with the ones I think I know.

July 1915; Fokker E.I; FA62
June 1916; Sopwith Triplane; 1 RNAS
August 1916; SPAD VII; N26
September 1916;Albatross D.I; Jasta 2
April 1917; Se 5; 56 Squadron

StephenLawson · 7 August 2006, 10:42 PM

Hello Cobby, Dan San Abbott has a lot of the German units already worked out.

MikeW · 8 August 2006, 05:32 AM

Cobby,

Sopwith Triplane:

Service trials carried out at No.1 Wing at St. Pol on the 22nd June 1916 by the following personnel:

Flight Commander RH Mulock 1 Wing
Flight Commander J Petre 1 Wing
Flight Commander REC Peirse, 4 Wing
Flight Lieutenant RGA Baudry 4 Wing
Flight Commander SV Sippe 5 Wing
Flight Commander GH Beard 5 Wing
Flight Lieutenant BL Husskinson 5 Wing

Following the official trial, the prototype, N500, was attached to No.2 Filight of A Squadron 1 Wing which was based at Furnes in July. Here it was flown by Dallas, Gerrard, Petre, Legh, Minifie, Eyre, de Quincey-Quincey, Gooderham and Clayton.

A Squadron 1 Wing, of course, became No.1 Squadron on December 1916.

Mike