JEngO-23
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- Joined
- 14 February 2026
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In 1951, De Havilland Propellers (DHP) set up a new department for guided weapons at Hatfield under Mr. G.C.I. (Guy) Gardiner, which developed Britain’s first operational air-to-air missile, Firestreak. DHP were awarded two study contracts in 1951 for an infrared-homing air-to-air missile, one called “Trafficator” for development of the infra-red technique, and a second contract for a design study of the complete weapon. These were superseded by a development contract for project “Blue Jay” in April 1952, and Blue Jay Mk 1 was named Firestreak on entry to service. The Firestreak’s final design and performance are well documented, but information is sparse on its development within DHP.
During development, DHP submitted detailed 6-monthy reports to the Ministry of Supply. These were discussed at Progress Meetings which are documented in The National Archives (TNA) file AVIA 54/2206. However, the progress reports themselves have not been retained. After the missile was in service, DHP produced an internal bound report (see photo below), covering the development history of Firestreak. The contents list of this 112-page report in the second photo attached gives a good indication of its scope. However, the whereabouts of this report are also unknown. Note that DHP had probably been merged into Hawker Siddeley Dynamics (HSD) by the time this report was produced.
HSD subsequently became part of BAE Dynamics, which was letter merged into MBDA. Sadly, anecdotal evidence suggests that the DHP archives were destroyed when BAE Dynamics became part of MBDA.
The story of Firestreak development would be incomplete without an appreciation of the activities within DHP. Can anyone shed light on where any surviving DHP development reports on Blue Jay Mk 1 (Firestreak) are currently located?
During development, DHP submitted detailed 6-monthy reports to the Ministry of Supply. These were discussed at Progress Meetings which are documented in The National Archives (TNA) file AVIA 54/2206. However, the progress reports themselves have not been retained. After the missile was in service, DHP produced an internal bound report (see photo below), covering the development history of Firestreak. The contents list of this 112-page report in the second photo attached gives a good indication of its scope. However, the whereabouts of this report are also unknown. Note that DHP had probably been merged into Hawker Siddeley Dynamics (HSD) by the time this report was produced.
HSD subsequently became part of BAE Dynamics, which was letter merged into MBDA. Sadly, anecdotal evidence suggests that the DHP archives were destroyed when BAE Dynamics became part of MBDA.
The story of Firestreak development would be incomplete without an appreciation of the activities within DHP. Can anyone shed light on where any surviving DHP development reports on Blue Jay Mk 1 (Firestreak) are currently located?
