Catalogue description Air Ministry and successors: Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment: Reports

The records in this series are summarised briefly in the order of their sequence in the list as follows (the subject is followed by the report series, which is then followed by the period and then by the code, as in (subject) Aircraft, (report series) F/A, H/A, (period) 1924-1945, Code 2):

• Aircraft, F/A,H/A, 1924-1945, code 2
• Aircraft Armament, F/ARM,H/ARM, 1929-1946, code 4
• Aircraft Armament Research, H/ARM/RES, 1941-1945, code 12
• Aircraft Controls, F/C, 1933-1937, code 6
• Aircraft Engines, F/E, 1931-1939, code 7
• Aircraft Failures, F/F, 1931-1933 ,code 8
• Aircraft Instruments, F/I, 1924-1939, code 9
• Aircraft Research, F/RES,H/RES, 1929-1956, code 5
• Aircraft Tests and Trials, F/ ,H/, 1925-1956, code 3
• Aircraft Wireless Telegraphy, F/WT, 1927-1943, code 11
• Ballistics, H/IB, 1945, code 15
• Equipment, F/EQ,H/EQ, 1928-1956, code 1
• Main and Model Tank Trials, BFTN,GF, 1944-1946, code 13
• Technical Notes, F/TN, 1954-1956, code 14

Codes 1 to 15 cover the following numbers in AVIA 19

• Code 1: AVIA 19/1-248, AVIA 19/1080-1147, AVIA 19/1246-1249, AVIA 19/1278, AVIA 19/1279
• Code 2: 249-494
• Code 3: 495-614, 1148-1164, 1250-1265, 1276,1277, 1280-1282
• Code 4: 615-739, 1266-1270
• Code 5: 740-895, 1165-1234, 1287-1291
• Code 6: 896, 897, 1274
• Code 7: 898-912
• Code 8: 913-970, 1275
• Code 9: 971-1013
• Code 10: 1014
• Code 11: 1015-1026
• Code 12: 1027-1054
• Code 13: 1055-1079, 1293
• Code 14:1235-1245, 1271-1273
• Code 15: 1292

The Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment on the Isle of Grain was taken over from the Admiralty by the Air Board in January 1917, transferred to the Ministry of Munitions in 1918 and then in January 1920 to the Air Ministry. It carried out research and development work on water-based aircraft for service needs and also on their equipment and on air-sea rescue apparatus.

The Establishment's work grew during its early years and by 1930 it was carrying out acceptance tests and trials on marine aircraft and their associated equipment and armaments.

In 1939 the Establishment, which until that time had been located at Felixstowe, Suffolk, was moved to Helensburg in Scotland, where it remained until 1945. The Ministry of Aircraft Production took control of MAEE in 1940. In addition to its earlier functions the Establishment became responsible for acceptance tests and trials of air-sea rescue apparatus and equipment and for aircraft armament research with bombs, depth charges and projectiles, including experiments and tests in water tanks. Being the sole official experimental establishment for marine aircraft in the country, particular emphasis was placed on research, especially into seaworthiness, stability and control on water, and water impact loads.

The Establishment returned to Felixstowe in 1945 and was later put under the control of the Ministry of Supply.

Flying ceased at MAEE in 1953 because of the decline in demand for flying boats in the years following the Second World War and because of the need for economy. The Establishment was now responsible for testing and evaluating prototype marine craft and air-sea rescue apparatus and associated equipment to determine whether they complied with the development specifications and to advise when they could be handed over for Service trials.

MAEE was closed down in March 1956, its current work being undertaken by the Air Ministry and the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down. The model workshop remained on site and came under the control of the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough.