No. 1422 Flight RAF

No. 1422 Flight RAF
A USAAF Douglas A-20G Havoc similar to those flown by 1422 Flight
Active	12 May 1941 – 3 June 1944
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Experimental Night fighter
Aircraft flown
Bomber	Vickers Wellington
Fighter	Douglas Havoc (Turbinlite) Douglas Boston de Havilland Mosquito Mk.II (Turbinlite) Boulton Paul Defiant Hawker Hurricane
Trainer	de Havilland Tiger Moth Avro Anson de Havilland Dominie

No. 1422 (Night Fighter) Flight was an independent Royal Air Force flight, used to test night fighting techniques and tactics.

History

The unit started originally as No. 422 (Fighter Interception) Flight, formed on 14 October 1940 at RAF Shoreham to study the use of single-seat night fighters^[1] That unit went up into No. 96 Squadron RAF on 18 December 1940.^[1]

The unit was reformed as No. 1422 (Night Fighter) Flight at RAF Heston on 12 May 1941,^[1][2] equipped with a variety of night fighters for trials and experimental work. Tactics were developed here for the Turbinlite Douglas Havoc and Turbinlite de Havilland Mosquito, as well as radar equipped aircraft. The flight was disbanded on 3 June 1944 to become the Special Projectile Flight of the Royal Aircraft Establishment.^[1][2]

References

Notes

1. Sturtivant and Hamlin 2007, p. 122.
2. Lake 1999, p. 88.

Bibliography

• Lake, Alan. Flying Units of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1999. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
• Sturtivant, Ray, ISO and John Hamlin. RAF Flying Training And Support Units since 1912. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2007. ISBN 0-85130-365-X.