Title:THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FLEET AIR ARM [Allocated Title]
Film Number:COI 302
Other titles:
Summary: Film history of the Fleet Air Arm (viewed without soundtrack).
Description: The film features - early naval airships; founding of the Royal Naval Air Service and their use of seaplanes; role of HMS Engadine at the Battle of Jutland; airship patrols against U-boats; early experiments with take-off platforms on battleship gun turrets; first successful deck landing by Squadron Commander Dunning; development of arrester wires and other specialised equipment; early experiments with catapult launching systems; demonstration of torpedo-carrying aircraft at Hendon; floating mat system for the recovery of seaplanes; early aircraft carrier, HMS Furious - fitted with anti-ditching palisades; introduction of wheelbrakes upon new high-speed aircraft; growth of German naval strength under Hitler; Channel Dash; HMS Ark Royal and the Fairey Swordfish; attack on a convoy by an Focke-Wulf FW 200c; development of escort carriers - HMS Centaur; British carriers in the Pacific in the closing stages of the war; RATOG gear for heavily loaded strike planes; use of crash barriers; introduction of jet aircraft - flexible deck trials; breaking up of HMS Vanguard - the end of the battleship era; introduction of the angled deck, mirror landing sight and steam catapult; modern developments - VTOL aircraft, helicopters (asdic and torpedo carrying), and commando carriers.
Production Details: Central Office of Information (Production sponsor)
Central Office of Information (Production company)
Stone, Geoffrey (Production individual)
Stone, Elizabeth (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Dunning, Edwin Harris (person)
Royal Navy, Fleet Air Arm (regiment/service)
Royal Navy, Ark Royal (regiment/service)
Royal Navy, CENTAUR (HMS), aircraft carrier (regiment/service)
Royal Navy, ENGADINE (HMS), aircraft transport (regiment/service)
Royal Navy, FURIOUS (HMS), light cruiser (regiment/service)
Royal Navy, HMS VANGUARD, battleship (1944) (regiment/service)
German Air Force (regiment/service)
Keywords: aircraft, German - combat: Focke-Wulf Fw 200C & Condor (object name)
combat, German - air strike anti-ship [D] (object name)
equipment, British air - propulsion: launch catapult (object name)
operations, British naval - routine (object name)
operations, British naval - salvage: floating mat seaplane recovery (object name)
ships, British auxiliary - aircraft carrier, seaplane: Engadine (object name)
ships, British naval - aircraft carrier, escort: Centaur (object name)
ships, British naval - aircraft carrier, fleet: Ark Royal (object name)
ships, British naval - aircraft carrier, fleet: Furious (object name)
ships, British naval - battleship: Vanguard (object name)
GB, England & Hendon, Middx <RAF Station> (geography)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Sound
Soundtrack language: English
Title language: None
Subtitle language: None
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 2
Footage: 1689 ft; Running time: 18 mins
