Seaplane Experimental Station

The Seaplane Experimental Station at Royal Naval Air Station Felixstowe was a British aircraft design unit of the early part of the 20th century.

Creation
The unit at Felixstowe was commissioned 5 August 1913 under the command of Captain C. E. Risk, RM as Seaplanes, Felixstowe followed by Lieutenant C. E. H. Rathborne, RN in 1914 and Lieutenant-Commander John Cyril Porte, RN 1915.

RNAS Felixstowe was created soon after the outbreak of World War I following the formation of the Royal Naval Air Service 1 July 1914.

Operation
As the name implies, the unit designed seaplanes and flying boats. These were generally known by the Felixstowe name although, apart from the prototypes, these flying boats were built by aircraft manufacturers such as Short Brothers, Dick, Kerr & Co. and Phoenix Dynamo Co Ltd (the latter two forming part of English Electric in 1918–1919).

Upon Porte's recommendation, the station was initially equipped with Curtiss flying boats. He improved their hull designs, before developing the Felixstowe flying boats from those experiments. Many Felixstowe boats were built under licence in the USA. The craft were flown on long-range patrols to spot the German High Seas Fleet and Zeppelins, with many based at RNAS Felixstowe.

In 1916 they ran trials in conjunction with the Submarine Service at Parkeston Quay to test the carriage and launching of seaplanes carried on the deck of submarine E22.

On formation of the Royal Air Force 1 April 1918, the unit was renamed the Seaplane Experimental Station, Felixstowe and disbanded in June 1919.

Successor
The base and its facilities were later used by the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment from 1 April 1924 until the Second World War. It was also used as a base by the Schneider Trophy team, the High Speed Flight. RAF Felixstowe closed 21 June 1962.

Designs

 * Felixstowe Porte Baby
 * Felixstowe F.1
 * Felixstowe F.2
 * Felixstowe F.3
 * Felixstowe F.5
 * Felixstowe F5L
 * Felixstowe Fury

==Station Commanders ==


 * Captain C. E. Risk, RM               1913-1914
 * Lieutenant C. E. H. Rathborne, RN    1914-1915
 * Commander J. C. Porte, RN            1915-1918
 * Wing Commander C. E. Risk, RAF       1918-1919
 * Wing Commander I. T. Courtney, RAF   1919-1922
 * Flying Officer F. Wilton, RAF        1922-1924
 * Wing Commander C. E. H. Rathborne, RAF 1924-1925
 * Wing Commander R. B. Maycock, RAF    1925-1928
 * Group Captain G. R. Bromet, RAF      1928-1931
 * Group Captain A. J. Milley, RAF      1931-1936
 * Group Captain E. J. P. Burling, RAF  1936-1939
 * Wing Commander D. G. Fleming, RAF    1939-1940
 * Wing Commander W. B. Hellard, RAF    1940-1942
 * Wing Commander N. Keeble, RAF        1942-1943
 * Wing Commander L. G. Martin, RAF     1943-1945
 * Group Captain W. G. Abrams, RAF      1945-1946
 * Group Captain W. P. Welch, RAF       1946-1948
 * Group Captain C. A. Watt, RAF        1948-1949
 * Wing Commander D. H. Thomas, RAF     1949-1951
 * Wing Commander C. V. Winn, RAF       1951-1953
 * Wing Commander J. A. Chorlton, RAF   1953-1954
 * Wing Commander W. O. Jones, RAF      1954-1956
 * Wing Commander R. P. Burton, RAF     1956-1957
 * Wing Commander J. T. O’Sullivan, RAF 1957-1960
 * Wing Commander C. F. Price, RAF      1960-1961
 * Wing Commander C. H. Baker, RAF      1961-1962