15 members of the Romsey Abbey Friends enjoyed a fascinating visit hosted by the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust (FAST). The morning was spent touring their museum, followed in the afternoon by a visit to their historic Wind Tunnels.
Farnborough was the location for the first powered flight in the UK in 1908, William Cody successfully flying more than ¼ mile, a feat which took 27 seconds, before crash-landing at the far end of the field. Prior to that, the site had seen the development of balloons for military use, having been acquired by the military in 1905. As such, it remains the oldest airfield in continuous service in the UK.
The site subsequently became the Royal Aircraft Factory, renamed in 1918 as the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) upon the formation of the Royal Air Force (RAF). The site played an important part in the development of many aspects of aviation, including Britain’s rockets in the 1950s/60s, as well as many elements concerning air safety. Farnborough remains the location of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
The Wind Tunnels were used until the 1990s to test a range of aspects of planes as well as other objects such as racing cars. The enormous size of the largest wind tunnel, which could hold an entire fighter or small commercial plane, was mind-boggling. The team at FAST were superb in giving a very clear explanation about the history of Farnborough’s role in aviation history and the science behind the wind tunnels in particular.
Take a look at Ken Gibson’s photos below
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