# Wind Tunnel Testing Site - RAE Bedford - June 2012



## Els (Jul 18, 2012)

A few years back I was looking at one of those film location web sites and came across some weird industrial complex that looked a fair bit like Pyestock. It was listed as “An industrial location 30 miles outside London”. I had no idea where it was or about its past history but it sure as hell looked interesting, all sort of Bakelite Flash Gordon dials and switches. 

A couple of months ago later I was reading an old 1950’s book about breaking the sound barrier which had a section on wind tunnels. I happened to Google wind tunnels which dragged up load of photo bucket pictures someone had loaded up which I recognized as the same site in the film location web site. They were taken some time back in 2004, shortly before the site was largely dismantled; only rather fortunately they had given the location. 

I happened to mention it to Northern Ninja, showed him the pictures and we discussed about going. I didn't really get my hopes up to high as the site lies smack bang in the middle of an extremely live area sporting the usual 24 hour security with people, cars and lorries going about their business pretty much from sunrise to sunset. We had organized a little road trip to take in of a few places around Bedford so we added it to the list, thinking a visit might be nothing more than a recce. As things turned out, Lady Luck smiled on us, I mean she really did give us a major break, probably one of the most serendipitous explores I've ever had. 

There isn't a vast amount of history on this site, mainly a few mentions in some obscure forums, but it looks like construction was started after the war and quite of bit of the equipment seems to have been “liberated” from Germany. Things carried on until the site was closed back in 2004. Quite a bit of the equipment has been “recycled” and is now used by Bodyflight Indoor Skydiving and the Red Bull motor racing team. 

Anyway, enough of that. 

On arrival, it's a familiar story, a big impressive space with the lifting gear still in place but on the whole fairly stripped out. It's clear to see where the wind tunnel entered the building and where the aircraft testing chamber would have been placed. The motors to provide the compressed air would have sat on the plinth to the right. 







Poking about under the plinth. 





Standing where the test chamber would have been. 





Then it's up the lifting gear. 





Long way down. 





Down one end of the hall it's clear the place has been used as a film set. 















The spares store room. Empty apart from the shelving. 










There is a goodish amount of paper work still left in situ.


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## Els (Jul 18, 2012)

In the pictures I saw on the locations web site there were some ones of a couple of very nice Control Rooms and they didn’t disappoint once we found them. The first one was the Wind Tunnel Monitoring room which unfortunately didn’t really have very good light, just two small internal windows, so the pictures have come out a bit on the strange side. 

Anyway, I’m going to let them do the talking from now on in 























































The second Control Room was used to monitor the Power Station.


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## UE-OMJ (Jul 18, 2012)

VERY interesting, thanks for sharing.


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## TheDodoKiller (Jul 18, 2012)

Wow, that's astonishing. I've never seen the likes of it. I like dials. Loadsa dials...


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## UEP-Wales (Jul 18, 2012)

Now that is very nice and something I don't think I've seen before! 

Great shots and location, cheers for posting them up


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## night crawler (Jul 18, 2012)

Very good did like the control room but so was the main building impressive.


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## nelly (Jul 19, 2012)

Top stuff, love the control room


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## flyboys90 (Jul 19, 2012)

What an amazing find! both sets of photos great,thanks for sharing.


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## sYnc_below (Jul 19, 2012)

Brilliant, best thing I've seen on here for ages.

I've had it on my list for a while too, my bad for not pulling my finger out and getting beaten 

You snooze, you lose in this game 

Can remember it in it's heyday as I went to school just round the corner.


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## TeeJF (Jul 19, 2012)

What a cool place! I wonder what's with the perfume vials on on of the pix? Not what you'd expect in an industrial complex at all.


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## chizyramone (Jul 19, 2012)

Wow, that is mega cool. 

nice one


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## rapidman (Jul 28, 2012)

Outstanding report!! nice one


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## freespirits (Jul 28, 2012)

great pics and write up dude ,,,


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## bigtip (Jul 28, 2012)

*nice*

Strange place interesting and some nice shots thanks for posting.


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## Headflux (Aug 1, 2012)

Really cool place..


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## darbians (Sep 3, 2012)

That control room looks awesome, so many buttons and knobs to play with!


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## UrbanX (Sep 3, 2012)

Never seen this one, fantastic pics, what a find!


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## Fury161 (Sep 3, 2012)

Fantastic and all still in good condition inside, found this about when it was being put together. 

http://bps.britishpathe.com/hls-vod/flash/00000000/00083000/00083398.mp4.m3u8


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## Jet48 (Sep 3, 2012)

Great pictures of the control room so many switches and dials were you tempted to try a few?


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## sYnc_below (Sep 3, 2012)

Jet48 said:


> Great pictures of the control room so many switches and dials were you tempted to try a few?



It was decommissioned in 2005


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## Els (Sep 3, 2012)

tocsin_bang said:


> It was decommissioned in 2005



Believe it or not, some of the lights on the console still worked and at least one of the dials was still flickering.


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## Safe Breaker (Sep 4, 2012)

Great stuff..............


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## adzst24 (Sep 11, 2012)

Realy nice report big thums up !


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