As the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aligns many of its capabilities with the US, its flight-test community has needed to adapt in order to meet a new era of requirements to remain relevant and valuable
THE MOTTO Of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) flight-test unit is ‘Prove to accomplish’. The Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2018, and has continually evaluated both aircraft and weaponry for the RAAf— ensuring both operational effectiveness and relevance. In recent years, the role of the ARDU has evolved to encompass both development testing and the front-end operational test before a particular item is handed across to the war fighting units.
ARDU history
The origin of the ARDU stems from a need to bridge a gap between Australia’s emerging aircraft industry and the RAAF, with its precursor — the Special Duties and Performance Flight — being established in December 1941 at RAAF Base Laverton, Victoria. The unit was renamed No 1 Air Performance Unit in December 1943 and during World War Two it conducted important trials with types such as the Spitfire, Beaufighter and Boomerang, while also having the chance to conduct clandestine evaluations of …
