Aeronautical Inspection Department
of Clement's Inn, Strand, London (gauge and standardization section)
1912 The need for an Aircraft Inspection Department was first officially recognised in 1912, when the report of the Departmental Committee on Accidents to Monoplanes was published. The committee was charged with investigating certain accidents that had occurred to monoplanes and to make recommendations for the reduction of such risks.
1913 The Aeronautical Inspection Department (AID) was formed by the War Office in December 1913 for the purpose of inspecting aircraft and other supplies for the Royal Flying Corps. The department was immediately organised into two main technical branches dealing with the inspection of aeroplanes and engines respectively, each under the control of an Inspector. The headquarters of the department were temporarily established in a private house - "Ashdean", Alexandra Road, Farnborough Common - for receipt of machines delivered by private contractors for final flight tests as laid down in their contracts. At that date the establishment staff totalled 28. The growth of work caused by the war, and the take-over of inspection for the Naval as well as the Military Aeronautical Service, led the establishment increasing to 10,600 by the time of the Armistice in November 1918.
1917 Passed to the Ministry of Munitions
1920 Passed to the Air Ministry
The scope of the inspection carried out by AID comprised not only aircraft but supplies of many other kinds utilized by the Flying Service, such as balloons, hangars, tents, machine tools, raw materials, fabrics and a variety of general equipment. In the inspection of these multifarious supplies almost every trade was dealt with, and some idea may be formed of the department's technical requirements when it is realized that detailed inspection was made of all materials, of the manufacturing process to which they were subjected, of the assembly of various parts into component units and of the erection of the aircraft, engines, etc.
By 1939 AID was an engineering organisation, mainly civilian, but in part RAF, whose prime purpose was to ensure that all RAF and RN equipment manufactured or repaired by contractors and by RAF maintenance units was constructed to approved designs and was fit and serviceable for issue to the users, the operational and training units of the RAF and RN.
1940 Passed to the Ministry of Aircraft Production
AID was organised in six divisions, namely aircraft, armament, engines, aircraft equipment, materials and general stores, the members of each division being specialists in the appropriate technical work.
1941 a seventh, Common Services Division, was added dealing with administrative matters and supervision of female personnel. Also a Consultant on Radiological Inspection was appointed to AID.
1946 Passed to the Ministry of Supply
1955 AID assumed the inspection of guided weapons, and a Guided Weapons Division was formed.
1957 the inspection of aircraft equipment was transferred to the Electrical Inspection Directorate (EID).
1959 Passed to the Ministry of Aviation.
The Aeronautical Inspection Directorate at Chessington was responsible for the inspection of aircraft airframes and accessories, aircraft engines, including turbine, piston and rocket engines, as well as guided weapons and metallic and non-metallic materials used in aircraft; each function was organised under the control of a deputy director. The inspectorate also had its own laboratories at Harefield, Middx as well as regional offices around the country and superintending inspectors working with the largest aircraft suppliers.
The Electrical Inspection Directorate at Aquila, Bromley was specifically responsible for electrical and electronic equipment and supplies as well as atomic weapons; in these fields EID was regarded as the inspectorate of ultimate reference. Internally, it was divided into four main divisions: Atomic Weapons, Electronics, Engineering Services and Power and Instruments.
The other two inspectorates in the Division, the Inspectorate of Armaments at Woolwich and the Inspectorate of Fighting Vehicles and Mechanical Equipment at Kidbrooke were transferred to the War Office by 1962.
1967 the Inspection Division transferred to the Aviation Group of the Ministry of Technology.
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] National Archives