RAF/RAE BEDFORD -Jul 2012

[Canonguy]

this has to be near the top of my explores this place was amazing :cool2: amazing day out!

full set :http://www.flickr.com/photos/samcain/sets/72157631525817953/

abit of history from the good old wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAE_Bedford

RAE Bedford was a research site of the Royal Aircraft Establishment between 1946 and 1994. It was located near the village of Thurleigh, north of the town of Bedford in England and was the site of aircraft experimental development work.Starting in 1946, construction work began to turn the wartime RAF airfield into what became known as the Royal Aeronautical Establishment, Bedford. The runway was extended in the post-war period to accommodate the Bristol Brabazon aircraft, which required a very long runway but which never went into production. A lot of the development for what became the Harrier was done here, one early version became known as the 'Flying Bedstead'. Also Thurleigh had a catapult runway and it was here that the 'ski jump' later fitted to some aircraft carriers was also developed. One local road was put in a cutting for a runway to be put above it, linking the Airfield site to the wind-tunnel site about a mile and a half away, although ultimately this was never carried out. The runway is some 10,500 ft long, and some 300 ft wide and as of June 2011 is used by a number of car storage companies.

The airfield was decommissioned in February 1994[citation needed] after a lengthy study determined that flight operations should be centralised at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire. Due to the cost and impracticality of relocating the Advanced Flight Simulator system the site retains some of its development work (under the banner of QinetiQ from mid-2001 onwards). As of early 2007, QinetiQ have sold their remaining stake in the Bedford Airfield site (as well as the nearby 'Wind Tunnel' site) and are planning to relocate the remaining staff to Farnborough in early 2008, finally ending the site's long association with military aviation.[dated info]

The airfield was closed in 1997[citation needed] with the RAE having become the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA). DERA consolidated its experimental flying operations at Boscombe Down, moving aircraft from Farnborough as well as Bedford.

i know my school moto is "Aim Higher" but this is pushing it for me :shock: :?

chairs

the runway/carpark

i think this was part of a laser guided landing system for airports (testing)

they had a artist!!!! :lol:

one of the best views

love the design of this

nice spot to sleep (the the radar tower)

:cool2:

RIP mini

i think this was a ford focus ???

:shock:

the sea of cars had to wait out the rain in a 2001 merc #RollingInStyle :lol:

star trek style

respect to the person who made this :cool2:

my mates amazing idea was to kick this to see if it would open, i dont think you will be surprised with the outcome

coolest hand dryer i have ever seen

:beer2:

 

[Wevsky]

very nice mate did you also know there was a windtunnel testing site at RAE bedford

one of the control rooms

 

[silverainbow]

Very Nice Canonguy, looks like a good explore, I'd be wanting to build things out of all those different cars

 

[Canonguy]

Wevsky- yeah I found out after I got back from the site in really annoyed that I didn't know when I was up there and I have now found it and I'm waiting till summer so its a little warmer

 

[Canonguy]

 

[Canonguy]

Silverrainbow- I loved the cars there were some decent ones there do you know why there put here ?

 

[Wevsky]

Wevsky- yeah I found out after I got back from the site in really annoyed that I didn't know when I was up there and I have now found it and I'm waiting till summer so its a little warmer

Doubt its still doable it got sealed up after we had been last year..and why wait till its warmer,any times a good time

 

[Canonguy]

That's a shame but if I'm passing ill drop in have a look and that a very true staent there :lol:

 

[Wevsky]

That's a shame but if I'm passing ill drop in have a look and that a very true staent there :lol:

Thermals three layers of clothes and the weathers no issue unless its pissing it down then im screwed

 

[Shush]

Love it!

 

[Canonguy]

thanks

 

[skeleton key]

Very nice and good to see Canon I use to work very close by and use to wander around here for hours

All those cars were from the great governmet scrappage car scam oops soz meant scheme lol

 

[Canonguy]

lol canon all the way and nice i would love to do that

and i thought this but then landie man said other wise :dunno: i still believe that its from that but some of the cars are a amazing and shouldnt be sitting there