No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit was a Royal Air Force
Operational Conversion Unit
. It was formed in No. 12 Group
at RAF Leeming
from Nos. 13 and 54 OTUs in 1947. The tasking of the OCU was the training of night fighter
crews and its aircraft were the De Havilland Mosquito
, Gloster Meteor
and Gloster Javelin
over the years. The OCU lasted until 1961 at Leeming when it was disbanded.
The unit's next incarnation saw it again training night fighter crews, this time at RAF Leuchars
. The aircraft was again the Javelin and the training particularly emphasised preparing crews for overseas service. The unit was taken with this role for 18 months in 1965 and 1966 before disbanding again.
Its final incarnation was as a training unit for the F-4 Phantom at RAF Coningsby
. The unit was activated there in 1968 and eventually found its way to Leuchars again where it fell victim to post-Cold War cutbacks and was disbanded in 1991.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Operational Conversion Unit
Operational Conversion Unit
An Operational Conversion Unit is a unit within an air force whose role is to support preparation for the operational missions of a specific aircraft type by providing trained personnel. OCUs teach pilots how to fly an aircraft and which tactics best exploit the performance of their aircraft and...
. It was formed in No. 12 Group
No. 12 Group RAF
No. 12 Group of the Royal Air Force was a command organization that exisited over two separate periods, namely the end of World War I when it had a training function and from just prior to World War II until the early 1960s when it was tasked with an air defence role.No. 12 Group was first formed...
at RAF Leeming
RAF Leeming
RAF Leeming is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire, UK.HRH The Duchess of Cornwall is the Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Leeming. The Station Commander is Group Captain Anthony Innes....
from Nos. 13 and 54 OTUs in 1947. The tasking of the OCU was the training of night fighter
Night fighter
A night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility...
crews and its aircraft were the De Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
, Gloster Meteor
Gloster Meteor
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
and Gloster Javelin
Gloster Javelin
The Gloster Javelin was an "all-weather" interceptor aircraft that served with Britain's Royal Air Force in the late 1950s and most of the 1960s...
over the years. The OCU lasted until 1961 at Leeming when it was disbanded.
The unit's next incarnation saw it again training night fighter crews, this time at RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. It is located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland, near to the university town of St Andrews.-Operations:...
. The aircraft was again the Javelin and the training particularly emphasised preparing crews for overseas service. The unit was taken with this role for 18 months in 1965 and 1966 before disbanding again.
Its final incarnation was as a training unit for the F-4 Phantom at RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England. It has been commanded by Group Captain Martin Sampson since 10 December 2010.-Operational units:...
. The unit was activated there in 1968 and eventually found its way to Leuchars again where it fell victim to post-Cold War cutbacks and was disbanded in 1991.