RAF Patch Meteorological Research Flight MRF C 130 Snoopy Patch

RAF Patch Meteorological Research Flight MRF C 130 Hercules Snoopy round Patch Cold War 1980s Embriodered on twill merrowed edge 120mm four and eleven sixteenth inches diameter.

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In 1942 Meteorologists led by Alan Brewer were assigned to the RAFs High Altitude Flight HAF at RAF Boscombe Down to investigate contrail
formation. The Flight was equipped with two Spitfire Mk2s and a Boston Mk3. Another two Boston joined them for High altitude Meteorological Research which led to the discovery of very strong upper winds now refered to as the jet stream and Clear Air Turbulence CAT. In September 1942 three more Bostons joined the fleet.

In 1943 a Fortress Mk2A arrived and later in the year a Mosquito also joined the fleet and one of the Boston aircraft was retired. In December 1943 the Fortress carried out the first reliable humidity measurements made in the stratosphere with its newly developed Dobson-Brewer Hygrometer at just over 35,000 feet.

In 1944 a Hudson and a Mosquito Mk16B arrived with the new Mosquito frequently carried out missions above 40,000 feet and HAF lost one of
its Spitfire and the remaining Bostons. In 1945 the Hudson was written off and the fortress retired.

High Altitude Flight moved to the Royal Aircraft Establishment RAE at Farnborough and was renamed Meteorological Research Flight MRF and two Halifax Mk6 and a Mosquito PR34 joined the Flight and a second PR34 arrived in 1948.

In 1949 a further Mosquito arrived and the Mosquito Mk16B retired and in 1950 two Hastings C1A joined the flight and a Mosquito retired
and one of the Halifax’s retired in 1952.

A Canberra B2 arrived in 1953 to replace the Mosquitos as it could reach attitudes of 15 km under favourable conditions making it ideal for
upper tropospheric and stratospheric measurements and another of the Mosquito retired. A Varsity T1 joined in 1955 and the last Mosquito retired.

In 1962 the Canberra B2 crashed into St Andrews Bay while on approach to RAF Leuchars with no loss of life and a replacement Canberra PR3
arrived in 1963. The1966 Hastings C1A retired in 1966 with the Varsity T1 following to retirement in 1968. A further Varsity arrived in 1970.

In 1973 a specially adapted C-130 Hercules nicknamed Snoopy due to its long nose probe joined the Flight and a Canberra detached to Colorado
to investigate momentum flux transfer. In 1974 MRF participated in the GARP (Global Atmospheric Research Program) Atlantic Tropical Experiment (GATE) one of the largest international meteorological campaigns ever undertaken bringing together 72 different nations. The last Varsity was retired in 1975 and in 1978 the C130 Hercules participated in the Joint Air-Sea Interaction (JASIN) experiment investigating the radiative properties of stratocumulus.

MRF collaborate with the Central Electricity Research Laboratory (CERL) to investigate the production of acid rain over the North Sea using the
C-130 Hercules in 1980. The Canberra was retired in 1981. In 1987 MRF C-130 took part in FRONTS87 with French researchers.

In 1991 the C-130 Hercules aircraft and MRF staff were deployed to investigate environmental impacts of smoke from Kuwaiti oil fires. The Flight was presented with its official crest in 1993.

In 1994 March 1994 the Hercules was relocated to Boscombe Down and detached to California to participate in the Monterey Area Ship Track
(MAST) experiment examining the impact of ship tracks on stratocumulus clouds and in 1996 participated in the Atmospheric Chemistry Studies in the Oceanic Environment (ACSOE) project. In 1997 The Hercules detached to the North-East Atlantic for the 2nd Aerosol Characterization Experiment (ACE-2) and in 1999 the Enhanced Contingency Planning and Support Environment (ECLIPSE) project involved the C-130. In 2000 MRF took part in the first airborne measurements showing the spectral signature of Saharan dust during the SaHAran Dust Experiment (SHADE).

The C-130 Hercules aircraft was retired on 21 March 2001 and MRF disbanded with the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurement (FAAM) a
collaboration between the Met Office and the National Environmental Research Council (NERC) taking over the duties of the RAFs MRF.

This patch dates from the 1980s.