Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Other Aircrew Forums > Flight Testing
Reload this Page >

Test and Evaluation topic e.g. RAE,DERA and QinetiQ

Flight Testing A forum for test pilots, flight test engineers, observers, telemetry and instrumentation engineers and anybody else involved in the demanding and complex business of testing aeroplanes, helicopters and equipment.

Test and Evaluation topic e.g. RAE,DERA and QinetiQ

Old 16th Oct 2012, 19:13
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Great Britain
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post Test,Evaluation and Trials topic e.g. RAE,DERA and QinetiQ

As I am very interested in Test and evaluation within the defense and couldn't really seem to find a topic I decided to start one.
So if you have any information from the below PLEASE post here.
-Royal Aircraft Establishment.
ETPS
-A&AEE Boscombe down.
-NGTE
-Royal Aerospace Establishment.
-DRA.
-DERA.
-QinetiQ/[dstl].

-Any I have missed out.
Or any other information which involves test and evaluation for defense ( Raspberry ripple aircraft , Airbases e.g. Farnborough)
Of course any questions about the above It would be nice to post here as well.
Hope it's a fun topic for all!

Last edited by Ashleyaircraftfan; 27th Oct 2012 at 21:46.
Ashleyaircraftfan is offline  
Old 17th Oct 2012, 14:03
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: N51 09".94 W001 45".51
Posts: 160
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Of course A&AEE DRA DERA and QinetiQ are all one and the same place and having started working for my beloved A&AEE i have worked for them all through default
billynospares is offline  
Old 17th Oct 2012, 21:11
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Old Hampshire
Age: 68
Posts: 631
Received 3 Likes on 2 Posts
T&E eh, lets add some more acronyms to the alphabet soup with AFEE, AATDC, JATE, JADTEU AWC, ATEC and even though it was mostly naval stuff there was some flight testing with the DMWD.
VX275 is online now  
Old 18th Oct 2012, 17:38
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: South Central UK
Posts: 254
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
A&AEE DRA DERA and QinetiQ are all one and the same place
Personally, I would class them as Organisations, although probably stretching the point to consider the latter 3 as 'organised'!

A&AEE was, of course, located at Boscombe Down; however the DRA & DERA, during their existence, inhabited many sites around the UK. QQ still does, albeit rather less these days.

lm

Last edited by lightningmate; 18th Oct 2012 at 17:39.
lightningmate is offline  
Old 18th Oct 2012, 18:45
  #5 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Great Britain
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Maybe it would be better if I placed them in chronological order as A&AEE no longer exists of course as it (I think) merged into or became DRA then DERA. Then in 2001 became QinetiQ (privatised).Same for the RAE went through DRA , DERA and the QinetiQ.
Ashleyaircraftfan is offline  
Old 19th Oct 2012, 09:45
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 601
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by Ashleyaircraftfan
A&AEE no longer exists of course as it (I think) merged into or became DRA then DERA.
That's not precisely accurate. A&AEE never merged into or became part of DRA.

A&AEE (Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment)

became (briefly)

A&AEE (Aircraft & Armament Evaluation Establishment)

became (briefly)

DGT&E (Directorate General Test & Evaluation)

became

DTEO (Defence Test & Evaluation Organisation)

became

DERA (Defence Evaluation & Research Agency) - joining DRA etc

became

QinetiQ (losing what became DSTL)

will become...
BossEyed is offline  
Old 19th Oct 2012, 15:18
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 233
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
RAE again?

P
Pilotage is offline  
Old 19th Oct 2012, 16:14
  #8 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Great Britain
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
RAE again?
Well I wish the RAE would be back but some how with cut backs I doubt it very much.
QinetiQ (losing what became DSTL)

will become...
Dont understand what you mean? You mean that DSTL is going to come under QinetiQ??? or the other way around as DSTL is gov owned
https://www.dstl.gov.uk/
Ashleyaircraftfan is offline  
Old 19th Oct 2012, 18:57
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: South Central UK
Posts: 254
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
To re-build the RAE you would need Scientists, Engineers and Leaders. QQ could offer Nest-Featherers, Project Managers, Accountants and possibly just a few of those who formerly worked at the RAE. Unfortunately, working within QQ has beaten the stuffing out of those former RAE folk.

Destruction of the RAE, A&AEE and several other specialist military organisations in the proven false hope of saving money has come home to roost, we cannot get anything right and we have precious little of the essential test facilities remaining.

All of this stupidity occurred in the early 1990s, readers of other topics concerning airworthiness will probably recognise that period as the time military airworthiness requirements were consigned to the past.

Enough to make you weep!

lm

Last edited by lightningmate; 19th Oct 2012 at 18:58.
lightningmate is offline  
Old 19th Oct 2012, 23:27
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: UK
Age: 58
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
It was remarked by my colleagues, having driven through the main gate to be greeted by another logo (again), a career in signwriting could be a lucrative option...
pianydd is offline  
Old 20th Oct 2012, 10:05
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 601
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by Ashleyaircraftfan
Originally Posted by BossEyed
QinetiQ (losing what became DSTL)
Dont understand what you mean? You mean that DSTL is going to come under QinetiQ??? or the other way around as DSTL is gov owned
I mean that when DERA ceased to exist in 2001, it split into two: QinetiQ and DSTL. Sorry: [dstl]
BossEyed is offline  
Old 20th Oct 2012, 11:06
  #12 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Great Britain
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Still we will have to hope DSTL stays gov owned as if that became privatised there would not be much left.
Ashleyaircraftfan is offline  
Old 20th Oct 2012, 14:08
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: N51 09".94 W001 45".51
Posts: 160
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
You are so right lightningmate. I am ex A&AEE forced into QQ this as they say is not what I joined up for
billynospares is offline  
Old 20th Oct 2012, 22:12
  #14 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Great Britain
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Out of interest what ranges did RAE/A&AEE etc use I know aberporth , shoeburyness and west freugh but was there any other ones???? I know P&EE used a lot but did the RAE and A&AEE use them??
Ashleyaircraftfan is offline  
Old 22nd Oct 2012, 03:40
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Wildest Surrey
Age: 75
Posts: 10,813
Received 94 Likes on 67 Posts
RAE operated the air range at Larkhill on Salisbury Plain, Aberporth is Cardigan Bay, West Freugh was Luce Bay; Shoeburyness was not operated by RAE although it was under the umbrella of MOD(PE) like RAE & A&AEE.
One acronym was you forgot was: RPE (Rocket Propulsion Establishment) Westcott, which became part of Royal Ordnance by '92; don't know what it's called now.
Another was RRE (Royal Radar Establishment) Pershore the flying side of which was absorbed into RAE Bedford in about '75.
And don't forget RAE is actually 2 acronyms; Royal Aircraft Establishment became Royal Aerospace Establishment before it became DRA(Aerospace).

Last edited by chevvron; 22nd Oct 2012 at 03:44.
chevvron is online now  
Old 22nd Oct 2012, 12:27
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 233
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
... and was Royal Aircraft Factory until it was changed to deconflict with the newly formed Royal Air Force in 1918.

There was also NGTE, subsumed into RAE in the early 1980s I think.

P

Last edited by Pilotage; 22nd Oct 2012 at 12:28.
Pilotage is offline  
Old 22nd Oct 2012, 14:07
  #17 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Great Britain
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
There was also NGTE, subsumed into RAE in the early 1980s I think.
Yes it was with the Royal Aerospace Establishment

RPE (Rocket Propulsion Establishment) Westcott, which became part of Royal Ordnance by '92; don't know what it's called now.
Yes should of remembered Westcott since I have been there but I'm sure they moved a lot of the resources up to spadeadam (don't count me on that) for blue streak missile/rocket.And I think some of the Royal Ordnance comes under BAE.

Last edited by Ashleyaircraftfan; 22nd Oct 2012 at 14:09.
Ashleyaircraftfan is offline  
Old 22nd Oct 2012, 16:10
  #18 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Great Britain
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sites

So far I know of the locations of these sites within the RAE/A&AEE
-Farnbrough
-Bedford Airbase/tunnels
-Malvern
-Pershore (Before it moved to bedford)
-Defford
-West Freugh
-Westcott
-Spadeadam
-Llanbedr
-Aberporth

-Boscombe down

Im I right I thinking these are correct and also are there any more???
Ashleyaircraftfan is offline  
Old 22nd Oct 2012, 16:23
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Wildest Surrey
Age: 75
Posts: 10,813
Received 94 Likes on 67 Posts
Larkhill as mentioned; there was also an offshoot of RAE at Cobham,
chevvron is online now  
Old 22nd Oct 2012, 19:19
  #20 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: N51 09".94 W001 45".51
Posts: 160
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Believe it or not in the distant past there was an out station of Boscombe Down in Libya
billynospares is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.