Exploring the UK's Abandoned Aircraft Testing Facility (RAE Bedford)

[@DCCModelRailwaySignalling]

My father worked there and I worked there (albeit on the airfield site). I was familiar with many of the buildings in your video. Bought back many memories. Fantastic videos guys 🙂

[@spudbrain99]

Great video guys, as someone who did their apprenticeship on both the tunnel and airfield sites in the 80s it is such a shame to see what has happened to the place, but time moves on. Not so much jet engine development but the aircraft themselves, these were works of art often made in the model shops on site by amazingly skill craftsmen. Also, no power generator on site (to my knowledge), the 8ft tunnel was tapped into the national grid and consumed vast quantities of power when is ran.

[@Rich-on6fe]

They spun it up on a generator and then synced it to the mains. I think someone told me there were two separate mains supplies onto the site.

[@Urbandoned]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed and thanks for the information too

[@chrisdoney8578]

One of my favourite all time explores. Cold war tech, 60's - 90's era, best of British technological years. So sad to see it abandoned but so proud it happened. I guess the majority of all of this is now done with computer simulation. Well done lads for great explore and vid.

[@Urbandoned]

No problem, glad you liked this one, we thought it would be up your street! Such an amazing place

[@nigelhall6714]

Me too! LOVE Coldwar locations. Hint hint! :-)

[@DavidJarrold-e7j]

A career in world leading innovation and technology. Replaced by a career in Starbucks. How Britain has grown.

[@Ripper_CQ]

My Dad worked at RAE Farnborough from an apprentice almost all the way up to when TAG Aviation bought the site. He worked on wind tunnel models amongst other things. You can still go in the 24ft wind tunnel on open day's which is pretty interesting 👌

[@nigelhall6714]

Always delighted by the narration and respect you give to these locations. As with the countryside, add nothing and take nothing away. Such a shame that some still wish to daub graffiti to such locations. Well done and keep doing what you do!

[@Urbandoned]

Appreciate that very much, it is very important that we show each location equal respect and treatment for our cideos

[@tesla.coil66]

Wow! Those control rooms! And I could almost imagine the noise there must have been when the wind tunnel was active. Love this explore, thanks for sharing!

[@pauloconnor2980]

I love the CRT monitor on the 'simulator' @18:35!!!!!!!

[@leesworld3659]

Visited this site in late 70's as part of an apprenticeship studying the control gear. Had a tour inside the 8ft wind tunnel wearing protective coveralls and footwear, apparently supersonic debris would have made a mess of thier tunnel and precious test models, happy days.

[@pdtech4524]

Such a shame those control panels should be displayed in a museum somewhere before they get completely destroyed.

[@Urbandoned]

Honestly, it is tragic that an electrical fire will probably happen eventually..

[@michaelbarlow3686]

Fantastic Video All Your Productions are Great but this one tops my score. You Guys are Pros the Narration and Appreciation of these Historic Building are the best I have Ever Viewed. Have a Great Christmas You Deserve It!!

[@Urbandoned]

Thank you, you too! Merry Christmas 🎄

[@tns5044]

The scale of this place is really impressive. Nice explore!

[@streetyoriginalsongs]

I used to visit site as an IT engineer in the mid 1990's when there was still some activity at site . They needed run run real-time computers, and they had a mighty old Ferranti system that few other companies would maintain because of it's age ..

[@GreatGizmo74]

Oh awesome! Can you remember anything about those computers?

[@Je33aMC]

I used to work in the 8x8 and 13x9 and I managed the computer data collection machines, great place to work, real shame it closed down.

[@GreatGizmo74]

@@Je33aMC That's awesome! There still are some tape drives and a massive printer in the 3X3 control room. I'd love to if you knew anything about that. I'd be very interested to know more!

[@three-phase562]

At 29:00 that looks like an old synchronising control trolley for the generators to parallel them up. We used to have them for power station commissioning back in the 1990s, before they moved onto digital systems.

[@boblloyd75]

Nice to see a site that is not destroyed by graffiti or copper thieves

[@craiggilchrist4223]

I'm a huge aviation geek It's sad that this place was never a Museum or stripped to pu in Museums. So much British Aviation history there. I wonder if Frank Whittle was ever there? See if you can get hold of an old Skeleton Key to open locked doors.

[@Stants714]

This a no RAE Museum you are right but I help run the 306th BG Museum there so you can always visit us!

[@Ripper_CQ]

FAST (Farnborough Air Sciences Trust) have a great Museum if you've not been there before.

[@Dogslobba]

Great video guys. I always love the green all these control rooms seem to be wherever they are in the world.

[@frasermathers2287]

Loved this video lads as it reminded me of my time at the DERA (Now QINETIQ) facility on the Western Isles which is a missile test and evaluation facility which includes site on North & South Uist and Benbecula plus a facility on the Isle of St Kilda. Looks like all these defence sites use similar building types, colours and systems. These control rooms were stunning and in amazing condition for there age.

[@GlasgowCeltic88]

You guys should get yourselves down to QuinetiQ Farnborough (another former RAE/DERA site). Some of the buildings there are still left from a bygone era. Both my parents worked there (mom in Remote Sensing and dad in the Met Office's Research Flight).

[@brimstone260]

Banger from you set of young historians. Total class.

[@Urbandoned]

Nice one

[@richw0123]

I live a few miles away, and when I was a child I would see all the military planes flying around, I was walking through nearby Carlton and saw a 747 fly over what seemed like 500 feet on final approach. Along with the daily fly pasts of Tornados, Jaguars, Harriers, and multiple flights of Hercules, I once saw 11 go past! The best I saw was a VC-10 with a couple Harriers emerging out of a gloomy drizzly cloud at perhaps a 1000 feet during break time at school. I was 10 when it closed so I was lucky to see it all, but it got me into aviation big time.

[@mmatejka01]

Love the control rooms....!

[@tonysneesby6199]

Started my apprentiship there at around 1961 as an electrician when it was in its heyday and employed hundreds of people at the wind tunnel establishment but separate by a few miles was RAE thurliegh the airfield also run by the Miistry of Supply and was also part of Farnborough which was also an airfield.As a london lad i stayed in Milton Ernest in the week with a couple whose husband was a libarian at the airfield.

[@halesworth01]

Great interesting video again guys!

[@wings6499]

Twinwood Farm (where Glen Miller took off from on his fateful last flight) is where the wind tunnels are located. It was part of RAE Bedford together with the airfield at Thurleigh. Engine testing was at Pyestock, adjacent to RAE Farnborough. The circular tower was used for aerodynamic spin research and is now, as far as I am aware, used for the sport of aerobatic skydiving. All rather different now from the time I flew from Thurleigh in the 1970s.

[@TheOriginalGeekyNoob]

That was so cool, what an amazing explore!

[@ianstewartorr8455]

Very vey interesting thanks greetings from Scotland 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@Urbandoned]

Hello!

[@ianstewartorr8455]

@ hello

[@Dico6]

27:25. I couldn't agree more.

[@v1s1on_official]

I live down the round from here tried to get in once but got sent away how did you get in?

[@darrenfitch]

You were mightily impressed with this facility. This testing facility was tiny compared to Pyestock in Farnborough... You would of been blown away by it...Shame you didn't get to explore that facility before it was flattened...

[@Urbandoned]

Yes would be a dream to see that one, at least it was properly documented whilst in an abandoned stwte

[@BadPretzscher]

Ay up lads, grand video again! Greetings from East Germany

[@Urbandoned]

Guten Tag!

[@devally2432]

They still have an operational wind tunnel in Manton Lane, Bedford.

[@richardwhite7336]

RAE

[@benlambley7171]

Great explore as usual guys as a fan of aviation especially early jets this place fascinated me shame it’s been left to ruin

[@davidlamport3178]

The testing of comets following the early fatal incidents was carried out at RAE Farnborough where test tanks were constructed. this was another world leading aero research facility that was eventually abandoned only to become a commercial airport

[@optical_ideas]

Those two control rooms are truly amazing

[@SimonBrown-f1n]

It was along time ago but I seem to remember the 8 ft tunnel was driven by an 80,000 hp electric motor with a 56 megawatt draw when it was running. I’m sure we had to shut down in the early evening due to the load on the national grid when people were cooking their tea. Worked there over 40 years ago. Loved the place. Sad to see it in that state.

[@malcolmknight6450]

352,000 horsepower at NGTE Pyestock (Farnborough) with a 275 megawatt feed. The NGTE facility only operated in the evening and only by permission of National Grid. Visited it several times in the 1960s. My father was engineer in charge and Health & Safety was not a thing.

[@GreatGizmo74]

​@@malcolmknight6450 Oh awesome! What was it like being at Pyestock in the 60s?

[@malcolmknight6450]

@GreatGizmo74 I never worked there but my father who was with Frank Whittle (Power Jets Ltd) in Leicester after leaving the RAF in 1946 transferred to Pyestock in 1949 when I was only six. It was only a short bike ride from home and everyone I knew, literally, worked either at RAE or NGTE. I recall being taken to the test cells (wind tunnels) to watch engines at a very young age - no wonder Dad went deaf. No significant ear protection and in my teens the eight electric motors (plus one steam turbine) which together powered the test cells used for Olympus (Concorde) development in the 1960s. Went in there several time-s and the control desk was not unlike the one shown in this KZbin video. What I find interesting is that the documentation relating to this facility - I still have it - is from 1956 so way back then such things were being planned. It is speculation on my part but I recall my father speaking of the Mach 3 bomber which probably went the same way as TSR2 and I definitely remember him saying how BOAC kicked up a stink when told that Concorde would have no windows. I have no documentary confirmation but I would guess that Concorde had its origins as a bomber. Whilst the Olympus was a Bristol Siddely design taken over by Rolls Royce it was only Government that had the facilities for its testing. 2,000 mph with simulated high altitude, at low temperature. I have the 'plumbing' diagram of the compressors and test cells. Dad became engineer in charge of that facility and there was little or no telemetry, just a small gang of men with clipboards taking meter readings and reporting back every 30 minutes. The power drain when it was switched on caused the picture on the tubed TV to shrink and ten seconds later we could hear the roar of the motors to tell us Dad had got to work safely! There are still a few bottles of unopened duty free booze in my cupboard which date from the fortnightly commute to Toulouse before the first Concorde flight.

[@mikemichaud5048]

Always awesome! Thanks guys👍

[@Urbandoned]

Much appreciated

[@bungfupanda8936]

A big part of the site is used by Red Bull Racing F1 team now. Its a shame how the site has deteriorated, I first went there with my dad in his lorry to pick up machinery aged about 10-12, it was immaculate, next time was when I went there looking at RAE apprenticeships, got a really great tour and insight into what they did there, but sadly no apprenticeship. These days I regularly visit a machine shop on the site, broken windows and overgrown and uncared for everywhere. In its day it was an incredible facility, capable of advanced research, all with scale and full size models built by mastercraftsmen, nowadays that work is done by simulation through computational fluid dynamics in a fraction of the time and expense. The electrical supply to the main tunnel fan came to the site from Bedford via its own set of pylons, which to my knowledge still exist and are as far as I'm aware are unique in design. Excellent video, interesting for me to compare the present condition with my memories of over 40 years ago. Many thanks 👍🏻

[@Urbandoned]

No problem, thanks a lot for the information

[@Cobraguy321]

RAE Bedford had one of the longest runways in Europe in its working day as a aircraft test facility. It would have made a great airport instead of Luton.

[@richardwhite7336]

It nearly was in the 70,s Concord landed there too

[@68Eddie-i2l]

There were plans to extend the runway further, ready for the Bristol Brabazon, the cutting is there on Milton Road to this day

[@eliotmansfield]

Good work

[@mindblast3901]

Good video Guys

[@PaulStrickland]

During the 60s it was used as a dispersal base for Avro Vulcans with the nuclear deterrent, what I remember was seeing the Jaguar fighter Bomber being tested in the early 70s

[@kevinparker461]

My Grandfather had a pig farm a few miles away from Thurleigh, when i was a kid in the late 60s a Vulcan was flying around with a Concord engine mounted in the centre underneath, i would imagine being tested?. Its quite a vivid memory!

[@PaulStrickland]

​@kevinparker461 These were definitely part of the V bomber force, they used to deploy them out from Scampton and Waddington because those bases were fairly close together and could be taken out easily. They don't do that today Maritime Patrol and AEW will based at RAF Lossiemouth, talk about putting all your eggs in one basket! One tactical nuclear missile could take it out very easily!

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

0:15 See? I knew that those Sky Hooks I was sent to get on my first day on site were real!!

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

As for the comments on the colour of the control room panels, I read somewhere that that particular shade of green is the best at being unobtrusive so that the mad professors are solely focused on the information poring in at high speed and in practically unmanageable amounts. Also, it can't be denied how cool it looks because we've all been brought up on it from Fifties Dan Dare comics to Bond films. Tell me you haven't already pictured Dr. No boastfully giving 007 the tour of his version of these control rooms!

[@mpol701]

Closed in 1994 not the 80s, was on bedford radar 124.4, abd 130.000 twr listening abd watching over flights in North hertfordshire with there callsign BLACKBOX

[@mpol701]

I don't know when the tunnels closed though

[@Rich-on6fe]

@@mpol701 could still hear them being used when I worked at the airfield (enclave) site in 2001. Not for long though.

[@mpol701]

@Rich-on6fe think was a hs748 in raspberry ripple scheme flying over letchworth, Baldock doing radar trial with a dome on the front

[@DCCModelRailwaySignalling]

Used to fly on xx105 so very familiar with the 'blackbox' call signs

[@mpol701]

@DCCModelRailwaySignalling I see the 1-11 think I saw that a few times,, will have too see what other aircraft yiu had I've found the Bedford aeronautical heritage groups site looks very interesting

[@chrisdoney8578]

At 30:13 into vid; that computer keyboard looks like an Archimedes A400 🤔

[@PixieDixie-r5v]

Really cool! Did you mange to find any aicraft drawings? o part of them? or any interesting aircraft hardware? I forgot to say , The sountract is really nice, too

[@ericstrunk4891]

I'm going to go back in time and name my son Robert Oppenheimer

[@pauloconnor2980]

Alistair, is this the facility where the De Havilland Comet was tested??? And also where Comet 'Yoke Uncle' was tested to destruction???

[@davidlamport3178]

The testing of the De Havilland Comet following its early fatal incidents was carried out at RAE Farnborough by structures dept. Test Tanks were constructed to carry out pressure testing on the airframes. this was yet another world leading aero research facility that was eventually abandoned, only to become a commercial airport. A plus point was the formation of The museum which has a selection of the aircraft on display plus the historical catalogue of the types of research carried out by the RAE Farnborogh throughout its History from the early 1900's with kites and balloons though to Structural Testing of Concorde along with its sister site NGTE (National Gas Turbine Establishment) who from the early whittle engine testing and many other experiments and testing of the following generations aircraft Gas turbine engines.

[@Rich-on6fe]

They used it as a studio for Bang Goes The Theory.

[@stevenharris4989]

KYI,the uk's Kellog factory is closing down next year 🤔

[@-r-495]

You find literal sourcecode in those binders. Incredible.

[@C86-x5r]

The whole place has been bought by a private equity firm , so I'd imagine it'll be bulldozed at some point

[@MrKevC]

you wont beat analogue equipment with people with respect and knowledge of what there job is how the world has changed very sad :(

[@GreatGizmo74]

Yep I'm all for Anlouge equipment. It's my mission to ask and restore as much as the old equipment in this place as possible.

[@hanifabibi177]

L.

[@ronlynquist9183]

Saying it's abandoned doesn't mean you aren't trespassing.

[@Urbandoned]

What?! Is that true?

[@TheGizmo47]

so your trespassers which is not a good example to your younger viewers

[@ricklehurst]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6OQfHeCgp6Hb6ssi=NMXp5k0kQxY7dqPC kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXqceWOJd9KhhJIsi=W3e1DSe48fy7uyLr kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5_HqJisnpKBsJYsi=NqEJTu7vmHaEas5r kzbin.info/www/bejne/mn7Eo3ummdtlqsUsi=t33IRFQqIxdGQxVF

[@richardwhite7336]

One of the wind tunnels was wartime Luftwaffe taken as reparations and used until the 80s i think

[@68Eddie-i2l]

Correct, the 3x3 wind tunnel