Does anybody know if any RAF aircraft were equipped to drop gas at the beginning of WW2? My father took film of an air display in 1936 and I believe some of the Handley Page Heyfords were equipped to drop gas he took some film of the pilot operating equipment to drop gas.
Many aircraft types were cleared to carry Smoke Curtain Installation (SCI) pods so that they could lay a vertical chemical smoke curtain. This of course was a bit of a cover story as it only took a change of chemical in the pod and those aircraft would be dropping a poison gas curtain.
https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/docume...s/Journal_45_Seminar_conventional_weapons.pdf pg 162 shows Hind, Lysander, Blenheim and Wellington, plus sketches and some more background information.
The Heyford could have been a trials aircraft and the equipment being filmed under development. Can you briefly describe the equipment - and what actions the pilot is taking to work it? This could indicate if it was stores being dropped or a spray system initiated.
Post 12 refers to RAF CW training / testing later in the war: Chemical Warfare Establishment NE India WW2
In November 1940 R.A.F. stations with a spray capability were Grangemouth (614 Sqn: Lysander), Linton on Ouse (78 Sqn: Whitley), Hatfield (?), West Melling (26 Sqn: Lysander), Old Sarum (16 Sqn: Lysander), Watton (21, 82 Sqns: Blenheim), Wyton (15, 40 Sqns: Blenheim), Horsham St Faith (139, 144 Sqns: Blenheim), Binbrook (12 Sqn: Wellington) and Newton (103 Sqn: Wellington). Training stations with spray equipment were located at Benson (12 OTU: Battle), Feltwell (37 Sqn: Wellington) and Lossiemouth (20 OTU). The capability for the Stirling, which was earmarked to carry the largest payload of three 1700 lb. spray tanks, was held pending the completion of spray integration trials at Boscombe Down. The Stirling base at R.A.F. Oakington, even without a stock of spray tanks, still received chemical warfare training for its Observer air crew (7 Sqn) in October and November 1940.