# Jet Engine Testing Facility & Hardened Hangar



## UrbanX (Oct 18, 2015)

Just a quick couple. 

This is only a small building, so there aren’t many photo’s. But due to its significance I’ve decided to post it. It’s positioned on an old military airfield which was handed over in ’94 and is just in occasional civilian use. Visited with Gingrove. 

I couldn’t hear any jet engines, so decide its safe enough to pop in: 






The observation windows are set at angles…just in case… 



Looking the other way: 



I love that the “Exhaust residue may damage painted surfaces” has damaged the painted surface of the sign! 




Right onto the hardened hangar...

This is a Hardened Aircraft Shelter (HAS), which housed F-111’s fighters throughout the cold war, and the Gulf war. I know it’s essentially a big empty room, but I’d never seen one before, let alone been inside, so I was quite excitable. 

Wasn’t he the fella from the Terminator movies? 



Enter: (Didn’t realised I’d captured Gingrove on the left, lol!) 





The Hangar: 
You can see the construction is ribbed metal, onto which they have poured thick, thick concrete from the outside. Designed to take a direct hit.



Blast deflector at rear:



Blast deflector close up 



There were a few remnants from its glory days. There was information stencilled onto the walls which had been painted over in censoring black blocks. But there was also the ‘lifeline’ connection for the aircraft still hanging up, as well as headphones, and telephones. 










Time to exit: 



Selfie:



Thanks for looking!


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## smiler (Oct 18, 2015)

Nicely Done X, what rotten sod stuck a hypo in your rear end? I enjoyed it, Thanks


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## Rubex (Oct 18, 2015)

Wow I love it UrbanX! Amazing as always


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## J_a_t_33 (Oct 18, 2015)

Amazing work man, stunning shots as per usual


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## UrbanX (Oct 18, 2015)

Cheers everyone! 



smiler said:


> Nicely Done X, what rotten sod stuck a hypo in your rear end? I enjoyed it, Thanks


Lol, that is rather unfortunate isn't it! I thought it looked like a tap :shocked:


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## rockfordstone (Oct 18, 2015)

they have these hardened shelters on alconbury. heard a rumour that in a training mission it to a team of marines 4 or 5 attempts to bring one down with explosives


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## druid (Oct 18, 2015)

rockfordstone said:


> they have these hardened shelters on alconbury. heard a rumour that in a training mission it to a team of marines 4 or 5 attempts to bring one down with explosives



It's not a rumour, the hangar actually looks quite good in it's collapsed state. You'll find a thread posted by _sYnc_below_ with photos of a visit we had there back in 2011


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## noiseboy72 (Oct 18, 2015)

The collapsed hanger at Alconbury has now gone. They broke it up and cleared the area, but there are still the intact ones at that end of the site. Many other buildings in the Tech area have now gone, along with a few hangers. Housing is being built, along with some commercial buildings as well. Have a look at my thread on the old building I work in on the site, complete with hardened bunker which is still fairly intact.


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## Mikeymutt (Oct 18, 2015)

Now that really is a good one..really love it


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## HughieD (Oct 19, 2015)

Your reports are alway fascinating UrbanX!


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## flyboys90 (Oct 19, 2015)

Cracking report and images.Thanks for sharing.


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## Sam Haltin (Oct 20, 2015)

Good report. That is quite a large hangar, if I had a F111 and I needed somewhere secure to store it that's where it would go.


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## UrbanX (Oct 20, 2015)

Hugh Jorgan said:


> Good report. That is quite a large hangar, if I had a F111 and I needed somewhere secure to store it that's where it would go.



I think they originally stored two per hangar, but reduced them to one each when they were given their 'special' weapons...


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## druid (Oct 20, 2015)

UrbanX said:


> I think they originally stored two per hangar, but reduced them to one each when they were given their 'special' weapons...



In 1991 the victor alert tab vees had one aircraft in them but the others generally had two. Probably more to do with the ones in the victor alert area starting and running their engines in the shelter rather than the aircraft payload.


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