Royal Aircraft Establishment Windtunnels
The Explore
This was intended to be a quick recce as there has been nothing from this place for a few years now, so naturally assumed it was sealed tight... but bloody hell are we glad we checked the place out! Explored with Session9 and The Lone Shadow. The building complex itself it situated within a very live industrial area complete with active security driving/walking around and people/cars generally coming and going constantly. Even the main test area had live offices at one end with PIR’s covering that part stopping me from getting to the bottom of the massive ladders that led to the roof. Various companies have warehouses or office space pretty much encirlcing the target building so access was lets just say a little tricky! At one point we squeezed and shuffled through pigeon shit only to find it eventually led back outside again much to our amusement. A bit of perseverance and we were in….
The History
(Worth a read this one)
Construction of RAE Bedford began in 1947, first with new roads, then the first wind tunnels on the “Twinwoods†site and finally the airfield at Thurleigh. Major building work continued to at least 1957.
While a considerable expansion of the UK aircraft industry had begun in the mid to late 1930s, it was the demands of World War II, in the early 1940s, which led to its huge growth in capability and size. As the tide of war began to turn in favour of the Allies, thought was given to the nation’s post-war prosperity and because of its technically advanced state, the aircraft sector was singled out as a primary industry for exploitation. However, it was realised that large and expensive research facilities would be required for such exploitation to succeed and as this would be in pursuance of national objectives, the provision of such facilities would have to come from central government sources. Accordingly it was decided to create an entirely new organisation to provide this necessary research capability. To be called the “National Experimental Establishmentâ€, it was initially proposed that it should be sited at Farnborough and embrace the already-existing Royal Aircraft Establishment but ended up here.
The wind tunnel provision consisted essentially of four large high-quality research facilities, which would allow the
testing of aircraft configurations and components at speeds from around eighty miles per hour up to a Mach number of 5, or five times the speed of sound. These were (in order of completion) the 3x3 supersonic tunnel, the 13x9 low speed tunnel, the 8x8 supersonic tunnel, and the 3x4 high supersonic speed tunnel (HSST). The numerals identify the working section dimensions in feet, width by height. The 8x8 and the 3x4 were the largest tunnels in their Mach number range in Western Europe. A low speed tunnel was also provided specifically to study the spinning characteristics of aircraft, which was a little understood phenomenon at the time. This Vertical Spinning Tunnel (VST) and the 13x9 low speed tunnel are still in use, the VST for skydiving and the 13x9 for the development of racing cars by Red Bull. A number of small tunnels were also built to provide for aerodynamic studies of a more fundamental nature. This place is steeped in history, including the development of the Harrier STOVL aircraft, far too much topmost on here but take a look if you get a chance. We visited the site of the 8x8 Tunnel Buildings..
The Pictures
1. I couldn't stop taking pictures of that fan blade...
2.
3.
4. Under the Plinth looking up...
5.
We then decided to have a wander around the other parts chatting that all the equipment that used to be here must've been controlled from somewhere and then this happened...... I pissed a little in my pants and Geoff's jaw hit the floor...
6. Supersonic Wind Tunnel Control Room...
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12. Spares Supply Area...
13.
14.
15. A random little room...
16.
As we mooched around still amazed by that control room I remember joking to Session9 that "imagine that was only a Sub-Control Room and there was another main one somewhere".... then we noticed this sign....
17. Central Control Room which monitored the power generation side of things...
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
I found this location pretty special, so if you visit please respect it, and switch the lights off when you leave
As always thanks for looking and feedback always appreciated
Session9’s report here - http://www.oblivionstate.com/forum/showthread.php/8644-RAE-Bedford-April-2015
The Explore
This was intended to be a quick recce as there has been nothing from this place for a few years now, so naturally assumed it was sealed tight... but bloody hell are we glad we checked the place out! Explored with Session9 and The Lone Shadow. The building complex itself it situated within a very live industrial area complete with active security driving/walking around and people/cars generally coming and going constantly. Even the main test area had live offices at one end with PIR’s covering that part stopping me from getting to the bottom of the massive ladders that led to the roof. Various companies have warehouses or office space pretty much encirlcing the target building so access was lets just say a little tricky! At one point we squeezed and shuffled through pigeon shit only to find it eventually led back outside again much to our amusement. A bit of perseverance and we were in….
The History
(Worth a read this one)
Construction of RAE Bedford began in 1947, first with new roads, then the first wind tunnels on the “Twinwoods†site and finally the airfield at Thurleigh. Major building work continued to at least 1957.
While a considerable expansion of the UK aircraft industry had begun in the mid to late 1930s, it was the demands of World War II, in the early 1940s, which led to its huge growth in capability and size. As the tide of war began to turn in favour of the Allies, thought was given to the nation’s post-war prosperity and because of its technically advanced state, the aircraft sector was singled out as a primary industry for exploitation. However, it was realised that large and expensive research facilities would be required for such exploitation to succeed and as this would be in pursuance of national objectives, the provision of such facilities would have to come from central government sources. Accordingly it was decided to create an entirely new organisation to provide this necessary research capability. To be called the “National Experimental Establishmentâ€, it was initially proposed that it should be sited at Farnborough and embrace the already-existing Royal Aircraft Establishment but ended up here.
The wind tunnel provision consisted essentially of four large high-quality research facilities, which would allow the
testing of aircraft configurations and components at speeds from around eighty miles per hour up to a Mach number of 5, or five times the speed of sound. These were (in order of completion) the 3x3 supersonic tunnel, the 13x9 low speed tunnel, the 8x8 supersonic tunnel, and the 3x4 high supersonic speed tunnel (HSST). The numerals identify the working section dimensions in feet, width by height. The 8x8 and the 3x4 were the largest tunnels in their Mach number range in Western Europe. A low speed tunnel was also provided specifically to study the spinning characteristics of aircraft, which was a little understood phenomenon at the time. This Vertical Spinning Tunnel (VST) and the 13x9 low speed tunnel are still in use, the VST for skydiving and the 13x9 for the development of racing cars by Red Bull. A number of small tunnels were also built to provide for aerodynamic studies of a more fundamental nature. This place is steeped in history, including the development of the Harrier STOVL aircraft, far too much topmost on here but take a look if you get a chance. We visited the site of the 8x8 Tunnel Buildings..
The Pictures
1. I couldn't stop taking pictures of that fan blade...
2.
3.
4. Under the Plinth looking up...
5.
We then decided to have a wander around the other parts chatting that all the equipment that used to be here must've been controlled from somewhere and then this happened...... I pissed a little in my pants and Geoff's jaw hit the floor...
6. Supersonic Wind Tunnel Control Room...
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12. Spares Supply Area...
13.
14.
15. A random little room...
16.
As we mooched around still amazed by that control room I remember joking to Session9 that "imagine that was only a Sub-Control Room and there was another main one somewhere".... then we noticed this sign....
17. Central Control Room which monitored the power generation side of things...
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
I found this location pretty special, so if you visit please respect it, and switch the lights off when you leave
As always thanks for looking and feedback always appreciated
Session9’s report here - http://www.oblivionstate.com/forum/showthread.php/8644-RAE-Bedford-April-2015
