It was a rainy and wind swept day and was not nice out on the flying field But we were there to record what remains Abandoned since 1993 when the USAF pulled out, no one had really visited the buildings since then.
The Test Cell lays out on its own, on the far side of the flying field away from the shelters and aircraft for safety. Today the buildings are in a derelict condition
Nesting birds have made one of the buildings there home, the result a couple of inches of smelly bird crap on the floorof which I had to negotiate to take pics! But the wall art we found was worth it
A brief history:
The Engine Test Cell was built so that rebuilt jet engines could be tested and run up to full power, in a safe and controlled environment. The Test Cell itself, was built to withstand a jet engine (under full test load) explosion. As a result it is built of two foot thick reinforced walls, along with 1 foot thick inspection glass windows, along with a self contained Halon fire suppression system.
The walls are also sound proofed so that the noise generated by the engines would not disturb the local communities!
Operation:
Jet engines were bolted down to a movable trolley which was wheeled into the test Cell through double blast doors, the trolley was then secured in place, in front of an Exhaust Efflux.
Then fuel and engine coolent lines were then attached through connections in the floor.
The Exhaust Efflux was water cooled under pressure to dampen down the engine exhaust heat which was generated by the engines when under full load. This generated massive clouds of steam which exited through the exhaust tunnel which can be seen on the end of the building
On with the pics
The main Control room. Nothing remains of the control panels that once sat in this building, it is now home to birds that have taken up residence in the rafters and crap all over the floor
The only remains left in the Control Room
But!
The Wall Art is some of the best I have seen to date at Heyford
Then it was on to the Test Cell itself!
Lets go through the Test Cell Door and into the Test Cell-
To the left, Blast Doors from which the engine would be rolled in on a trolley, at this end huge air extractors were open, to the elements so that sufficient air could be sucked in to provide cooling for the engines.
To the right of the door, the massive exhaust efflux is centre, the engine would be bolted down to the two main stays in the centre, and connected up to fuel & coolent lines.
Close up of Jet Efflux, the tubes sprayed water under high pressure, which helped dampen down the hot exhaust gases, the steam generated was an impressive site, which exited the tunnel at the end of the building.
Efflux Tunnel to the right, the concrete plinths in the centre originally housed a huge Av-Gas fuel tank for the engines. The central window was an external inspection window. Its amazing how nature is taking over slowly with the small trees growing up in between the concrete
This small bunker was located alongside the Control room, its purpose is unknown
And finishing off, this external shower
complete with hot water!
This was in case of fuel splashes to personnel, but also was used for NBC purposes, judging by the huge shower head you would have been dumped on, by a lot of water
That completes our tour of the Engine Test Cell - Thanks for looking