The Royal Australian Air Force's Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) plans, conducts and analyses the results of ground and flight testing of existing and new Air Force aircraft. ARDU consists of three test and evaluation flights (TEFs) located at RAAF Bases Edinburgh, Amberley and Williamtown, staffed by qualified test pilots, flight test engineers (engineer graduates of test pilot school) and flight test system specialists (air combat officer graduates of test pilot school). ARDU also conducted flight testing for the Australian Army until 2016, with Army personnel working within the unit.

The unit's flight test aircrew are long course trained at international test pilot schools including the United States Air Force Test Pilot School, the United States Naval Test Pilot School, the Empire Test Pilots' School, the École du personnel navigant d'essais et de réception and the National Test Pilot School.

The client base for ARDU encompasses the Air Mobility Group, Air Combat Group, Surveillance and Response Group, Air Force Training Group, and Defence Science and Technology Group.

ARDU often collaborates with sister AWC/TED unit Air Warfare Engineering Squadron (AWESQN). It also maintains close professional association with the other ADF flight test organisations, the Army Aviation Test and Evaluation Section (AATES) of the Army Aviation Training Centre (AAvnTC) located at Oakey, and the Navy's Aircraft Maintenance and Flight Trials Unit (AMAFTU) located at Nowra.

ARDU is now located at RAAF Base Edinburgh in Adelaide, South Australia, RAAF Base Williamtown near Newcastle, New South Wales, and RAAF Base Amberley near Brisbane, Queensland.

History Originally the formation of the Special Duties and Performance Flight (SDPF) was established in December 1941 at Laverton, Victoria. The unit was reformed as No 1 Air Performance Unit (1 APU) in December 1943, the Unit was responsible for carrying out flight trials of new aircraft as well as aircraft modifications. During World War 2, flying trials included Spitfire, Beaufighter and Boomerang performance tests, as well as evaluations on various aircraft modifications including gun, radar and bombsight installations. In addition, the Unit carried out performance tests on captured Japanese 'Oscar' and 'Tony' fighters. Following the War the Unit was involved in tests on the CA-15 prototype, a Meteor Mk3, Lincoln bomber and De-Havilland Sea Hornet.

The unit was renamed Aircraft Research and Development Unit in September 1947, with detachments operating in Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales. In October 1948 ARDU moved back to Laverton with Detachment A at Mallalla, South Australia and Detachment B at Richmond, New South Wales and Detachment C at Edinburgh, South Australia.

By February 1977, all ARDU detachments had relocated to Edinburgh, South Australia, from where it continues its vital role of testing and evaluating both aircraft and weaponry in the RAAF inventory.

In 2003, ARDU was re-formed into the Aerospace Operational Support Group (AOSG) (which later became Air Warfare Centre (AWC)), which incorporated several additional operational support roles including those relating to flight test.

On 14 Jan 2013, ARDU established an outpost at Amberley, followed by Williamtown and Richmond. Richmond was ultimately absorbed by Amberley.

Commanding officers Commanding officer Date of appointment Squadron Leader J.H. Harper 1 December 1943 Squadron Leader D.R. Cuming 1 May 1944 Flight Lieutenant A.I. Barret 26 January 1945 Wing Commander J.H. Harper AFC 21 March 1946 Wing Commander G.D Marchall AFC 1 December 1947 Wing Commander F.J.P. Wood 30 April 1951 Wing Commander D.R. Cuming OBE, AFC Bar 14 January 1952 Wing Commander J.R. Lavers AFC, AFM (T) 9 May 1953 Wing Commander D.R. Cuming OBE, AFC Bar 21 December 1953 Wing Commander G.H.N. Shiells DFC, AFC 9 April 1956 Wing Commander J.A. Rowland DFC, AFC (T) 19 January 1959 Group Captain I.F.D. Rose AFC 20 April 1959 Group Captain P.A. Parker DFC 1 August 1960 A/Group Captain L.H. Williamson 20 December 1963 Wing Commander W.S. McAloney GC, OBE (T) 11 November 1966 Group Captain J.P. Graney AFC 27 February 1967 Group Captain J.D. Espie DFC 10 February 1969 A/Wing Commander R.G. Green AFC (T) 1 March 1971 Group Captain J.W. Newham 4 October 1971 Wing Commander A.G. Cairns (T) 29 November 1971 Group Captain R.N. Law 18 January 1972 Wing Commander J.L. Thomson 30 July 1975 Group Captain D.G. Cameron DFC 12 January 1976 Group Captain R.G. Green AFC 10 December 1979 Group Captain M.E. McDonald 21 March 1983 Group Captain R.V. Richardson AFC 23 December 1985 Group Captain K.J. Bricknell AM 4 January 1988 Group Captain N.J. Ford 22 December 1989 Group Captain M.A. Skidmore 15 December 2000 Group Captain S.J. Fielder AM 13 December 2002 Lieutenant Colonel D.J. Fawcett 26 July 2003 Wing Commander T.J. Saunder 19 January 2004 Wing Commander S.W. Young 4 November 2004 Wing Commander A.P. Jonas 7 May 2007 Wing Commander R.L. Bender 10 January 2011 Wing Commander A.E. Figtree 1 November 2012 Wing Commander D.D.J. Rich 11 January 2016 Wing Commander M. Noblet 07 January 2019 Wing Commander S. Barter 04 January 2021 Wing Commander D. Dow 01 January 2024Wing Commander L. McDowall14 January 2026

Aircraft operated by the SDPF and 1 APU only 1941 to 1947 (Pre ARDU)

Spitfire (1944–1947) Anson Oxford Norseman Beaufort Beaufighter Boomerang (1943-1946) Woomera (1942-1945)

Lancer (1943) Shrike (1943–1944) Hurricane (1943) Hudson Ventura Liberator (1944-1947)

Fixed wing aircraft operated by ARDU

Wirraway (1943-1957)(1943-1957) Mustang (1944-19XX) Mosquito (1944–1951) Lincoln (1947–1959) Chipmunk VH-BFT (1948–1949) Drover VH-DHA (1948–1949) Meteor (1946–1956) Dakota (1948–2000) Viking A82-1 (1948–1951) Vampire (1948–1970) Sea Hornet TT213 (1948–1951) Freighter A81-1 (1949) Winjeel A85-364 (1951–19XX) Jindivik (1953–1955) Prince A90-1 (1953–1954) Beaver A95-201 (1955–1958) Canberra (1954–1981) Avro 707A WD280 (1956–1963) Sabre (1955–1971) Firefly T5 VX373 (1957) Cessna 180 (1966–1967) Mirage (1963–1988) Macchi (1969–20XX) CT-4 (1975–1993) Nomad (1975–1991) F/A-18 Hornet (1988–20XX) F-111C A8-132 (1996–20XX) King Air 200 VH-OYA (1999–20XX) PC-9/A (1999–20XX) KC-30A A39-003 (2011) PC-21 (2018–Present)

Rotary wing aircraft operated by ARDU

Sycamore (1951–1954) Kiowa (1971–20XX) Iroquois (1977–2007) Agusta A109E (2010–2013) Squirrel (1984–2006) Sikorsky S-51 A80-1 (1948–1951) Black Hawk (1987–2013) Tiger (2005–2010)

See also MoD Boscombe Down Air Force Test Center Flight Test Society of Australia

References Air Force News Into the future RAAF Aeronautical Research and Development Unit

External links Society of Experimental Test Pilots Society of Flight Test Engineers Flight Test Society of Australia