Helwan Airfield
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Helwan Airfield is a Aerodrome located near Helwan, Cairo Governorate, Egypt. It was formerly RAF Helwan, a Royal Air Force station operational up to and during World War II.
| Helwan Airfield Helwan Martial Airfield RAF Helwan  | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arabic: مطار حلوان | |||||||||
| Helwan, Cairo Governorate in Egypt | |||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Type | Airfield | ||||||||
| Operator | Egyptian Air Force | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
  Helwan Airfield Shown within Egypt | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 29°49′18″N 31°19′49″E | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1919 | ||||||||
| In use | 1919 - present | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Elevation | 41 metres (135 ft) AMSL | ||||||||
| |||||||||
History
During World War II, it was evacuated by RAF fighters due to its runway conditions. It had accommodations for 500 personnel, 32,000 gallons of aviation gas, and 3 hangars. In 1958, Helwan Airfield was used in conjunction with nearby aircraft industry. [1]
Units
The following RAF squadrons were here at some point:
- No. 6 Squadron RAF between 13 and 22 January 1942 with the Gloster Gladiator I & II, Westland Lysander I & II, Hawker Hurricane I and Bristol Blenheim IV[2]
- No. 8 Squadron RAF between 18 October and 11 December 1920 with the Airco DH.9A[2]
- No. 11 Squadron RAF between 1 December 1940 and 28 January 1941 with the Blenheim I & IV[3]
- Detachment from No. 18 Squadron RAF between January and March 1942 with the Blenheim IV[4]
- No. 29 Squadron RAF between 20 July and 6 August 1936 with the Fairey Gordon[5]
- Detachment from No. 30 Squadron RAF between June and November 1940 with the Blenheim IF[6]
- No. 33 Squadron RAF initially between 24 April and 25 May 1939 with the Gladiator I, then between 25 June and 22 September 1940 with the Gladiator II and Hurricane I[7]
- No. 39 Squadron RAF between 1 December 1940 and 23 January 1941 with the Blenheim I[8]
- No. 45 Squadron RAF initially between 1 April and 11 July 1921 with the DH.9A, then between 21 October 1927 and 3 January 1939 with the Fairey IIIF, Hawker Hart, Vickers Vincent, Gordon, Vickers Wellesley.[9]
- No. 47 Squadron RAF between 1 February and 1920 and 21 October 1927 with the DH.9A[9]
- No. 55 Squadron RAF initially between 3 June and 1 July 1941 with the Blenheim V then between 22 March and 3 April 1942 with the Blenheim IV[10]
- No. 70 Squadron RAF between 30 August 1939 and 11 June 1940 with the Vickers Valentia[11]
- No. 74 Squadron RAF between 21 June and 8 July 1942 with the Supermarine Spitfire VB[12]
- No. 80 Squadron RAF between 16 January and 15 July 1939 with the Gladiator I[13]
- No. 112 Squadron RAF between 26 May 1939 and 19 July 1940 with the Gladiator I & II[14]
- No. 113 Squadron RAF between 23 and 30 December 1941 with the Blenheim IV[14]
- No. 134 Squadron RAF between 9 June and 6 July 1942 without any aircraft[15]
- Detachment from No. 142 Squadron RAF between October 1935 and August 1936[16]
- No. 145 Squadron RAF between 30 April and 25 May 1942 with the Spitfire VB[16]
- No. 206 Squadron RAF between 27 June 1919 and 1 February 1920 with the DH.9[17]
- Detachment from No. 208 Squadron RAF between April 1936 and September 1938 with the Hawker Audax[17]
- No. 211 Squadron RAF between 12 May 1938 and 31 January 1939 with the Hawker Hind[18]
- No. 318 "City of Gdańsk" Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron RAF between 23 and 24 April 1944 with the Spitfire VB[19]
- No. 601 (County of London) Squadron AAF between 11 and 22 August 1942 with the Spitfire VC[20]