Continuing with Farnborough’s early history
At the outbreak of WW 2, in contrast to that of WW1, aviation, and with it the R.A.E., were mature organisations and ready to meet the emergencies ahead. One valuable resemblance to WW1 was that Farnborough again received its share of the country's leading scientists from the universities. From this source came its main war-time leader, W. S. Farren, one of the scientist-pilots of Farnborough's team in World War I, who took over from A. H. Hall in 1941 after a period as Director of Technical Development in the Ministry of Aircraft Production. Under his direction the scientific and technical effort of Farnborough was as versatile as it was effective in its object of helping to win the war. The specialist departments were backed by the all-out efforts of the test pilots, whose skill and devotion ensured efficient and rapid flight experiments; one of Farnborough's vital activities whose work covered not only the multiplicity of allied aircraft but tests on captured enemy equipment. Behind the scientific, technical and piloting effort was the essential team of craftsmen producing models and instrumental equipment and maintaining aircraft. Thus Farnborough was capable of carrying out the research, development, design and testing effort that helped the aircraft industry to produce aircraft like the Spitfire and Lancaster, and also helped the expanding aircraft instrument industry to produce a formidable range of vital operational equipment; navigation and photographic gear, radio, gunsights and bombsights. The specialised requirements of the Navy and Army received due attention; intensive development took place on the take-off and landing problems of naval aircraft; and for the Army Farnborough participated in making the Airborne Forces effective.
This is a bald enough summary of what was really a pretty sustained effort. Towards the end of the war Sir Stafford Cripps coined a phrase for it : "the nerve centre of our efforts in the air". This may have been too kind, but it does express succinctly what Farnborough was trying to do and what it felt like to be working there then.
The pattern for the ten years after World War II was being set at the close of the War by the coming of the atomic warhead, guided weapons and the new forms of propulsion (gas turbine and rockets) with the consequent entry into a new era of high-speed flight. These developments were reflected in the functions and organisation. In dealing with them, W. G. A. Perring succeeded Farren as Director in 1946, and, after his untimely death in 1951, was followed by A. A. Hall.
Work on gas turbines had been concentrated in a specially built outstation adjoining the R.A.E. in 1942; this was taken over by Messrs. Power Jets (Research and Development) Ltd., in 1944 and has since become a companion organisation, the National Gas Turbine Establishment. Its close proximity (which includes use of the Farnborough airfield) ensures a continued and close collaboration.
A co-ordinated effort on guided weapons in the R.A.E. was begun in 1946 by the formation of what is now (1955) the Guided Weapons Department. The pioneer work of this department, in relation to the fast-growing guided weapons industry, raises by its vigour, its vicissitudes and its improvisations, many of the problems which faced the Royal Aircraft Factory vis-a-vis the aircraft industry at the beginning of WW1. A further step was taken in 1947 when the rocket work of the existing Guided Projectile Establishment (Westcott) for land weapons was brought into Farnborough's orbit. This Establishment became the Rocket Propulsion Department of the R.A.E.
No major change has taken place in the Ministry's organisation with regard to airborne radar. This is the responsibility of a sister Establishment at Malvern (the wartime T.R.E. and now the Radar Research Establishment).
The present (1955) function of the R.A.E. can thus be summarised as that of fostering scientific investigation likely to lead to advance in all aspects of aeronautics other than those connected with turbine engines and radar.
An important section of Farnborough's work, and one which indicates the hot pace at which aeronautics is now moving, is labelled laconically " Projects" or" Assessments". In this activity the Establishment becomes in effect The Critics, bringing to bear the whole of its resources in making independent estimates of the value of new designs in aircraft, guided weapons and their equipment, while they are still in the problematical stage.
Farnborough clearly had to have increased elbow room in which to undertake its extended functions and organisation. Toward the end of the war the idea of an additional site to house extensive laboratory and flight facilities was worked out; this extension of Farnborough would be a natural off-shoot specialising in the ever-increasing aerodynamic and structural problems. Bedford, the chosen site, is still building, but is now (1955) partially operating. Its group of high-speed tunnels includes a 3 ft. by 3 ft. transonic-supersonic tunnel which has been working since 1952, and an 8 ft. by 8 ft. subsonic and supersonic tunnel now nearing completion. It has extensive full-scale flying facilities and provision for Naval Aircraft work.
Tunnel building has also proceeded on the Farnborough site at Ball Hill, where 1951 saw the completion of a group of intermittent-type supersonic tunnels and the 18-in. continuous supersonic tunnel. The laboratories for structural research and testing have been largely extended and the urgent necessity for the fatigue testing of complete structures has led to the provision of full-scale equipment.
An interesting development of Farnborough's activities resulting from the need to study high subsonic, transonic and supersonic flight has been the use of the rocket-powered models, launched into free flight. The exploitation of this technique has led to the provision of facilities at a firing range at Larkhill, while the need to study guided weapons in flight has been met by establishing a laboratory at Aberporth, where there is a sea range.
As a result of other considerations Farnborough also possesses laboratories at Martlesham, Orford and Cardington. Thus the small "Factory " that left Aldershot for the greater spaces of Farnborough Common and Laffan's Plain fifty years ago has not only spread over most of that area but has now several offspring, some of them larger than the original parent body.
Completes history to 1955 which was Farnboroughs 50th anniversary.