EKCO Fireflash and Firestreak (All very Hush-hush)

While the EKCO Factory in Southend was being expanded to accommodate the increasing demand for their television and radio receivers, a team of the ‘Top Lab’ engineers, which included Sirell Drew, Henry Cox, W P Graville, Ron Beavin, and Mike Skinner, were at the EKCO factory at Malmesbury, in Wiltshire, developing the guidance systems for two air-to-air infra-red beam-riding missiles; the Fireflash for Fairey Aviation, and the Firestreak for de Havilland. Under the codename of 'Project 'Blue Sky', and were quoted at the time as being weapons of the highest lethality, and destined for the Hawker Hunter and Supermarine Swift jet aircraft.

Fairey Aviation started development of what was to become Britain's first 'Air-to-Air' guided missile in 1947. This missile was primarily designed to counter the threat posed by enemy bomber aircraft although it was also hoped that it could be used against enemy fighter aircraft. The missile program was code-named 'Blue Sky', but when the project moved on to the trials squadron stage, was renamed the 'Fireflash'. The beam-riding Fireflash itself is 7ft 6in long, and with its two external booster rockets, which were used to accelerate the missile to supersonic speeds, increased the overall length to 9ft 4in.

Project ‘Red Steer’ (also known as ARI 5919 and ARI 5952) evolved from AI Mark 20, code-named 'Green Willow', which was the designation given to the EKCO fire control radar developed as a back up to the AI Mark 23 radar being designed by Ferranti for the English Electric Lightning (then known as the P1), which was under development in the early 1950's.

The de Havilland Propellers’ 'Firestreak' was a British first-generation passive infrared homing air-to-air missile. It was a rear aspect fire-and-forget pursuit weapon with a field of attack of 20 degrees either side of the target, and equipped the supersonic English Electric Lightning P1, the Gloster Javelin, and the de Havilland Sea Vixen. The missile was initially code-named 'Blue Jay', and was designed with cropped delta wings mounted just rear of the midpoint, and small rectangular control surfaces in tandem towards the rear. The first airborne launch of Blue Jay took place in 1955 from a de Havilland Venom, and the target drone, a Fairey Firefly, was destroyed.

The 'Blue Jay' Mk 1 entered service in 1957 with the Royal Air Force, who renamed the missile 'Firestreak', and in December 1958 was fitted to three Royal Navy de Havilland Sea Vixen Mk 21s of 893 Squadron, which flew from the deck of “HMS Victorious”. Firestreak was further developed into the 'Blue Jay' Mk 4, and ultimately entered service as the ‘Red Top’ in 1964.

Photos:
The EKCO Factory at Southend, 1943. Author’s Collection.
Testing Laboratory at Malmesbury. Author’s Collection.
Radar Team at Malmesbury in 1949. Author’s Collection.
Firestreak Missile at Brooklands in 2014 by Tony Inkster.
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/6536495...)
Air Interception Radar Mark VIIIA in a Bristol Beaufighter VIF CH16665 (Public Domain)
A Hawker Hunter carrying Fairey Fireflash missiles in August 1956. Author’s Collection.
Vickers Supermarine Prototype Swift F7 (XF774) carrying Fairey Fireflash missiles. Author’s Collection.
A Gloster Javelin fitted with de Havilland Propellers’ Firestreak missiles in September 1957. Author’s Collection.
Firestreak Missile on de Havilland Sea Vixen FAW2 (XJ571) by Clive Barker.
Red Steer Tail Warning Radar by Vincent Hopper.
Brakemine Missile from https://tankhistoria.com/experimental...
Brakemine Missile from https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/thre...
Fireflash by Dave Gibbings.
Fireflash Diagram from ‘Flight’ August 1957.
Avro Vulcan B2 XL426 at Southend Airport on 24 November 2011 by the Author.
Avro Vulcan B2 XL426 at Southend Airport on 13 October 2012 by the Author.
Vickers Valiant B (K) XD873 of 207 Squadron 1962 by commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Umeyou
Handley Page Victor B1A at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford on 5 May 2006 by Nick Dowling.
Rubber Stamp by geralt (pixabay.com/users/geralt-9301/)
Boeing B-52G Stratofortress (59-2601) on display at Langley AFB, Virginia by William Grimes.
Avro 698 Vulcan B2, UK - Air Force AN1358039 by Mike Freer (Touchdown-aviation).
English Electric/BAC Lightning F.53 ZF588 of 74 Squadron, RAF by Andrew Wilson(www.flickr.com/photos/toonaew/)
Handley Page Victor K2 XL188 Refueller of 55 Squadron in 1985 by RuthAS.
Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island from https://vulcantothesky.org/articles/f...