No. 29 Squadron RAF
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| No. 29 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
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| Active | 7 November 1915 |
| Role | Operational Conversion Unit (air defence) |
| Garrison/HQ | RAF Coningsby |
| Motto | "Impiger et Acer" (Energetic and keen) |
| Equipment | Eurofighter Typhoon |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
An eagle in flight preying on a buzzard - symbolising air combat |
No. 29 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is the second UK squadron to receive the Eurofighter Typhoon. The squadron is the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) for the Typhoon.
The squadron previously operated the English Electric Lightning until 1974 and the F-4 Phantom. A detachment was provided for the defence of the Falklands after the Falklands War following repairs to the airfield at Stanley. In 1987, 29 Sqn was one of the first units to receive the Tornado F3. It flew the Tornado until disbanding in 1998, as part of the Strategic Defence Review.
The first Typhoon T1 entered service with No. 17 Squadron in mid 2003. Both squadrons moved to RAF Coningsby in 2005, where No. 3 Squadron is to establish an initial operational capability by 2006/2007. Coningsby has received massive infrastructure upgrades prior to the type's arrival.
When the squadron number is written in roman numerals it is traditionally misspelled as XXX (30) rather than XXIX (29).
Although the exact circumstances of how this originated are unclear, the most probable explanation is that the original adoption of "XXX" for the 1930s squadron marking was nothing to do with Roman numerals, but was a reference to the brewers mark for "extra strong", and that it is only a coincidence that this resembles the numeral for "29" (XXIX). It should be noted that the use of Roman numerals for numbering RAF units is a relatively modern development - in any case it was certainly not the practice in the RAF in the nineteen thirties.
Squadron tradition, on the other hand, dates the practice to during the First World War or shortly after, and it is most often attributed to a mis-understood instruction to ground crew mechanics to paint "2 X's in front of the roundel and IX behind it" meaning "X,X,(roundel), and 'IX' or 'one-X')" but resulted in "XX(roundel)'one times' X". As with most such traditions, several minor variations on this story exist.
In fact, the marking was always applied as "XXX(roundel)XXX"(as illustrated) - or, perhaps, "XX(roundel)XX" on some smaller types - unfortunately, neither lends much support to the "tradition".
[edit] Previous Aircraft Operated
- Airco DH.2
- Sopwith Snipe
- Gloster Grebe
- Bristol Bulldog
- Bristol Blenheim
- Bristol Beaufighter 1940-1945
- De Havilland Mosquito XXX 1945-1951
- Gloster Meteor NF11 1951-1958
- Gloster Javelin 1957-1967
- English Electric Lightning F3 1967-1974
- McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR2 1974-1987
- Panavia Tornado F3 1987-1998
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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