Tom Spencer recounts some of Sqn Ldr Brian Moloney’s experiences commanding the Royal Aircraft Establishment’s secretive T Flight, as it paved the way testing jet aircraft
In July 1943, Sqn Ldr Brian Moloney arrived at Farnborough in Hampshire to take charge of the Royal Aircraft Establishment’s (RAE) top secret development programme, Turbine Flight. A former night-fighter pilot and flying instructor, Brian’s new role would involve ‘pushing the envelope’ of the world’s earliest jet-powered aircraft. Yet despite having made a critical contribution to the world of modern aviation, his name is all but forgotten today.
When Britain’s debut jet, the Gloster E.28/39, flew for the first time on May 15, 1941, it heralded a new era in aviation. Powered by Frank Whittle’s innovative W.1 turbojet, the machine underwent extensive testing to prove the concept and development of a jet-powered fighter. In late June 1943, the two E.28/39 prototypes – W4041 and W4046 – were turned over to the Royal Aircraft Establishment. The RAE was briefed to develop the type, but its primary focus turned to investigating the still relatively unexplored phenomenon of compressibility – how the airflow around an aeroplane affects st…
