What I did this weekend...Part 1: The Wind Tunnel Project, Farnborough

Gordon @ Convergent AV

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It's been a while since i posted any pics here but i've been busy bee last couple of weeks. So a few short threads to start up today..this is the first and longest...

Melanie and I were invited along with friends to visit The Windtunnel Project at Farnborough. This is a series of art projects happening in some Grade 1 listed buildings that have never been open to the public. The buildings house windtunnels used in aeorspace design and they were built between 1915 and 1935 I believe. Not sure when they were decommissioned but they are amazing. For about 6 weeks in June and July they are open to public and various different art projects are happening in and around them. Anyway, we went along Saturday afternoon and here is a little video that gives you an idea of what the main installation is like...followed by a series of photos. All taken with my trusty iPhone4s as i managed to put my iPhone5s through the wash and trashed it...doh!!!!



1: The Main Building, This is the best bit i think...this is the largest windtunnel of its type in Europe...and it was built in 1935! They designed it so they could put a full size plane in the wind path by winching it, upside down, in to the airflow! Mental....
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2: The B I G Propeller...
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3: Alternate view of Propeller
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4: Inside the airflow section....Walk towards the darkness
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5: That's a lot of current......
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6: The Control Room
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7: An abstract
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Lovely set, very well composed/processed shots all.
Absolutely love number 5. Perfect lighting/colours.
 
great stuff as usual Gordon and always interesting storylines too :)

Jim
 
Gordon, I used the 24ft tunnel (and nearby the No2. 8 1/2 x 11 1/2 ft tunnel) for my PhD, interesting rigging models that high up in the air. They were closed in approx 1998 when the 50 year war lease for the land returned to the local council and the MoD vacated the area leaving it ripe for development hence the various ne office blocks and hotel.

There was also one of the largest Transonic Tunnels (Working section 8ft IIRC) also next door but I think that has been flattened. Interestingly the No2 tunnel was made from precast concrete, including 3/4 of the wind tunnel section (most of that age were wooden), this is rumoured to be because there was no tax on buildings but there were on test facilities so the only bit classed as that was the working section (where you put the models), this tunnel was also used extensively by Benneton F1 in the early/mid 1990s.

You may have noticed that there is a long water feature outside the Aviators cafe just down the road, that was a towing tank for testing hydrodynamic ship models and there is the obvious airship shed structure nearby. Loads of British egineeing history there and I am proud to have been a very small part of it.
 

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