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View Full Version : Archived: UPPER HEYFORD - ENGINE TEST CELL NOVEMBER 2010



Tankman
18-11-2010, 10:44 PM
It was a rainy and wind swept day and was not nice out on the flying field:( But we were there to record what remains:thumb Abandoned since 1993 when the USAF pulled out, no one had really visited the buildings since then.
The Test Cell lays out on its own, on the far side of the flying field away from the shelters and aircraft for safety. Today the buildings are in a derelict condition:(
Nesting birds have made one of the buildings there home, the result a couple of inches of smelly bird crap on the floor:sickof which I had to negotiate to take pics! But the wall art we found was worth it:thumb

A brief history:
The Engine Test Cell was built so that rebuilt jet engines could be tested and run up to full power, in a safe and controlled environment. The Test Cell itself, was built to withstand a jet engine (under full test load) explosion. As a result it is built of two foot thick reinforced walls, along with 1 foot thick inspection glass windows, along with a self contained Halon fire suppression system.

The walls are also sound proofed so that the noise generated by the engines would not disturb the local communities!

Operation:
Jet engines were bolted down to a movable trolley which was wheeled into the test Cell through double blast doors, the trolley was then secured in place, in front of an Exhaust Efflux.
Then fuel and engine coolent lines were then attached through connections in the floor.
The Exhaust Efflux was water cooled under pressure to dampen down the engine exhaust heat which was generated by the engines when under full load. This generated massive clouds of steam which exited through the exhaust tunnel which can be seen on the end of the building:thumb

On with the pics:thumb


http://inlinethumb51.webshots.com/47218/2718441280033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2718441280033241453tKZvWq)


The main Control room. Nothing remains of the control panels that once sat in this building, it is now home to birds that have taken up residence in the rafters and crap all over the floor:sick
http://inlinethumb37.webshots.com/33572/2847440550033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2847440550033241453LtxFWq)


The only remains left in the Control Room:(
But!


http://inlinethumb28.webshots.com/24859/2618851770033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2618851770033241453IBRqJU)


The Wall Art is some of the best I have seen to date at Heyford:thumb


http://inlinethumb47.webshots.com/4910/2642903490033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2642903490033241453BXzUHe)


Then it was on to the Test Cell itself!


http://inlinethumb08.webshots.com/10375/2587634460033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2587634460033241453cVAqlM)


http://inlinethumb46.webshots.com/1005/2328290180033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2328290180033241453IYxTjj)


Lets go through the Test Cell Door and into the Test Cell-


http://inlinethumb17.webshots.com/45904/2733758140033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2733758140033241453nxDEDQ)


To the left, Blast Doors from which the engine would be rolled in on a trolley, at this end huge air extractors were open, to the elements so that sufficient air could be sucked in to provide cooling for the engines.


http://inlinethumb17.webshots.com/46736/2834603940033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2834603940033241453GTqoIx)


To the right of the door, the massive exhaust efflux is centre, the engine would be bolted down to the two main stays in the centre, and connected up to fuel & coolent lines.


http://inlinethumb44.webshots.com/43115/2524079820033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2524079820033241453RsxmNX)


Close up of Jet Efflux, the tubes sprayed water under high pressure, which helped dampen down the hot exhaust gases, the steam generated was an impressive site, which exited the tunnel at the end of the building.


http://inlinethumb42.webshots.com/14761/2039071300033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2039071300033241453cnrKGC)


Efflux Tunnel to the right, the concrete plinths in the centre originally housed a huge Av-Gas fuel tank for the engines. The central window was an external inspection window. Its amazing how nature is taking over slowly with the small trees growing up in between the concrete:(


http://inlinethumb24.webshots.com/28887/2830144720033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2830144720033241453cKAvEB)


This small bunker was located alongside the Control room, its purpose is unknown:confused:


http://inlinethumb37.webshots.com/44068/2978844480033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2978844480033241453wFQdlV)


And finishing off, this external shower:lol: complete with hot water!


http://inlinethumb60.webshots.com/45243/2509276630033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2509276630033241453pnzgva)


This was in case of fuel splashes to personnel, but also was used for NBC purposes, judging by the huge shower head you would have been dumped on, by a lot of water:eek:


That completes our tour of the Engine Test Cell - Thanks for looking:thumb

Tankman
19-11-2010, 03:07 PM
considering it hasnt been used for 17 years it dosent look bad at all, nothing has been smashed its just decayed naturally.

Trouble is the whole base has not seen any basic maintenance since the USAF pulled out:( This has resulted in most of the buildings suffering badly due to blocked drainage etc.

We entered an abandoned building once to hear a buzzing sound eminating from somewhere! With only flash lights to guide us, since the 240 volt electricity had been turned off back in 1994!

We eventually tracked down the noise, it was a US spec, 110 volt transformer that had never been turned off! It had been humming away for 17 years on its own power supply, in the buildng doing absolutely nothing:lol:

Needless to say we left it alone, just in case it was powering something we did not know about:confused: Such is the continuing secrecy of UH:coffee


http://inlinethumb62.webshots.com/42749/2925826090033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2925826090033241453ahGZQF)


The Control room has suffered at some time, as the door was laying on the floor, note the bird crap everywhere, the smell is horrendous:sick
http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/12792/2931984120033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2931984120033241453UsFVNj)


The ceiling of the Control Room was falling down:( We were also being watched by the "Close Circuit Bird Camera" located in the centre right of the hole:lol:

Tankman
13-01-2011, 07:24 PM
Just an update on this site, since I had better weather this time:thumb

http://inlinethumb40.webshots.com/21031/2983992350033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2983992350033241453HYWNXV)

Rear of Engine Test Cell, with exhaust efflux.

http://inlinethumb53.webshots.com/41844/2516517840033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2516517840033241453kFKedN)

Remote (Surface) -100,000 gallon fuel tank for the Engine Test Cell.

http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/38712/2429903780033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2429903780033241453dBiwbY)

http://inlinethumb41.webshots.com/30888/2400736620033241453S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2400736620033241453fHREaY)

A further two, 100,000 gallon fuel tanks are buried alongside.

Thanks for looking:thumb