stoozie
01-07-2012, 07:37 PM
Decided to head over to Pysetock with a non member.. Wandering around the perimeter before going in we met up with Beef and two other non members, split up from them, but met up with them a few times whilst on site.
We only went into Cells 3 and 4 and the air house, so a return visit is on the cards!
History:
The National Gas Turbine Establishment (NGTE Pyestock) in Fleet, part of the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE), was the prime site in the UK for design and development of gas turbine and jet engines. It was created by merging the design teams of Frank Whittle's Power Jets and the RAE turbine development team run by Hayne Constant. NGTE spent most of its lifetime as a testing and development centre, both for experimental developments and to support commercial engine companies.
The newly merged venture was nationalised. Pyestock, a former golf course in a secluded wooded spot between Farnborough and Fleet was chosen as the turbine development site, as the activities at the NGTE would be top secret and the surrounding woodland would dampen the noise. Construction began in 1949 with small test "cubicles" inside buildings like the Plant House. When the possibility of supersonic jets arose, the site was expanded to the north west, with the Air House and several large test cells built circa 1961.
For over 50 years Pyestock was at the forefront of gas turbine development. It was probably the largest site of its kind in the world. V bomber, Harrier and Tornado engines were tested on site. The power of the air house allowed Concorde's engines to be tested at 2,000 mph. Every gas turbine installed in Royal Navy ships was checked here; captured Soviet engines were discreetly examined
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7123/7480825674_0fe84111b4_z.jpg
Looking towards Cell 3 from Cell 3 West.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8003/7480639220_77fcac80bc_z.jpg
Inside Cell 4.
Cell 4
The largest test cell on site, Cell 4 was built in 1965, at a cost of £6.5 million, as part of the Concorde programme but also to test other supersonic jet engines. The test cell, unique in the world, takes up most of the steel clad structure with its mass of pipes, blast doors and electronics. It is connected to the Air House by blue pipes and was designed to simulate Concorde's flying conditions - Mach 2 (1522 mph) at 61,000 feet, but could test Concorde's engines at a maximum wind speed of 2,000 mph.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8028/7480693730_78676872d4_z.jpg
Cell 4 interior.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7140/7480581008_6c05b21750_z.jpg
Air house.
Air House
The Air House (1961) was a modernistic structure. Its eastern side is sheet glass; 8 large blue exhaust pipes rise the full length of the building, for the 8 compressor/exhauster sets inside. The pipes transported the fast moving air to/from the test cells.
The Air House had two functions: blowing or sucking air, at up to 2,000 mph (for Cell 4). There were eight identical GEC compressor/exhauster sets which aggregated to 352,000 horsepower, then the largest installation of its kind in the western world.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7259/7480540792_29db1411f0_z.jpg
Air house crane.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8142/7480797348_8cf9b4f390_z.jpg
Crane in a building we access through a tunnel near Cell 3 West.
Thanks for looking, more pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuarthomas/sets/72157630374116350/
We only went into Cells 3 and 4 and the air house, so a return visit is on the cards!
History:
The National Gas Turbine Establishment (NGTE Pyestock) in Fleet, part of the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE), was the prime site in the UK for design and development of gas turbine and jet engines. It was created by merging the design teams of Frank Whittle's Power Jets and the RAE turbine development team run by Hayne Constant. NGTE spent most of its lifetime as a testing and development centre, both for experimental developments and to support commercial engine companies.
The newly merged venture was nationalised. Pyestock, a former golf course in a secluded wooded spot between Farnborough and Fleet was chosen as the turbine development site, as the activities at the NGTE would be top secret and the surrounding woodland would dampen the noise. Construction began in 1949 with small test "cubicles" inside buildings like the Plant House. When the possibility of supersonic jets arose, the site was expanded to the north west, with the Air House and several large test cells built circa 1961.
For over 50 years Pyestock was at the forefront of gas turbine development. It was probably the largest site of its kind in the world. V bomber, Harrier and Tornado engines were tested on site. The power of the air house allowed Concorde's engines to be tested at 2,000 mph. Every gas turbine installed in Royal Navy ships was checked here; captured Soviet engines were discreetly examined
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7123/7480825674_0fe84111b4_z.jpg
Looking towards Cell 3 from Cell 3 West.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8003/7480639220_77fcac80bc_z.jpg
Inside Cell 4.
Cell 4
The largest test cell on site, Cell 4 was built in 1965, at a cost of £6.5 million, as part of the Concorde programme but also to test other supersonic jet engines. The test cell, unique in the world, takes up most of the steel clad structure with its mass of pipes, blast doors and electronics. It is connected to the Air House by blue pipes and was designed to simulate Concorde's flying conditions - Mach 2 (1522 mph) at 61,000 feet, but could test Concorde's engines at a maximum wind speed of 2,000 mph.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8028/7480693730_78676872d4_z.jpg
Cell 4 interior.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7140/7480581008_6c05b21750_z.jpg
Air house.
Air House
The Air House (1961) was a modernistic structure. Its eastern side is sheet glass; 8 large blue exhaust pipes rise the full length of the building, for the 8 compressor/exhauster sets inside. The pipes transported the fast moving air to/from the test cells.
The Air House had two functions: blowing or sucking air, at up to 2,000 mph (for Cell 4). There were eight identical GEC compressor/exhauster sets which aggregated to 352,000 horsepower, then the largest installation of its kind in the western world.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7259/7480540792_29db1411f0_z.jpg
Air house crane.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8142/7480797348_8cf9b4f390_z.jpg
Crane in a building we access through a tunnel near Cell 3 West.
Thanks for looking, more pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuarthomas/sets/72157630374116350/