RAF Gaydon
Encyclopedia
RAF Gaydon is a former Royal Air Force
station in Warwickshire
in the UK
located 5.2 mi (8.4 km) east of Wellesbourne
and 10.8 mi (17.4 km) north west of Banbury
.
a RAF station was built near the village of Gaydon
. This was a standard three-runway airfield similar to a number of other airfields nearby and was used mainly for training bomber crews, using Wellington
bombers or their trainer variants.
pilots and gliding instructors.
The airfield was then placed under care and maintenance until the early 1950s when it was designated as a future V-bomber training base. The airfield was then completely remodelled with one single massive long and wide runway. V-bombers were then cutting-edge technology and teaching pilots who may have trained on 200 mph (89.4 m/s) Wellingtons to fly new much larger heavier and faster, nuclear capable, jet bombers was viewed with much apprehension, although in the event many of the more alarmist views proved unfounded.
On 1 January 1955 the first, 138 Squadron
operating Vickers Valiant
s reformed at Gaydon as the first V-bomber squadron and the airfield then settled down as the operational training unit for Valiant and later Victor
squadrons. The airfield continued to be used for bomber crew training until September 1965 when it became home to No 2 Air Navigation School, responsible for the initial training of all RAF Navigators.
The contrast between the V-bombers and the Vickers Varsity
training aircraft cannot have been more pronounced. The Varsity was a replacement for the wartime Wellington with a similar performance.
When it first flew in 1949 it was reasonably advanced but, by the mid-sixties, it was definitely long in the tooth and had earned the nickname "flying pig" from the crews. Although older aircrew were quite happy to accept the slower pace of life, younger ones considered flying elderly piston-engined aircraft, at less than 200 mph (89.4 m/s), on seemingly endless pre-set courses, to be less than exciting.
Although the station was ostensibly only a training establishment, information recently de-classified reveals that Gaydon was still part of the strategic plan and in the event of war it was one of airfields to which Victor bombers would have dispersed ready to carry out nuclear strikes against the enemy.
The Air Navigation School moved to RAF Finningley
, Yorkshire, in 1970 and after a short period as a maintenance facility Gaydon was reduced to Care and Maintenance status until closure on 31 October 1974.
In 1978 the airfield was bought by British Leyland, and with the subsequent development of vehicle test facilities, the site became home to what was then known as BL Technology. The main runway was converted into part of a 4 lane test track, and many other tarmac and off road tracks were created. The buildings that once housed service personnel were sold off and became the village of Lighthorne Heath
.
Many of the original RAF buildings were demolished but a handful were retained and are still in use to this day. Of particular note are the airfield control tower and the two main hangars, although only one of these retains its original appearance.
New buildings and facilities have been added over the years by BL, Austin Rover, Rover Group
and latterly Jaguar Land Rover
, and the site became known as Gaydon Test Centre. The largest of the new buildings was the big design block. This was built during the 1990s as part of a consolidation of some of the Rover Group engineering activities from the old Canley site in Coventry (formerly a Triumph factory, now demolished), Longbridge in Birmingham (now part of SAIC
/Nanjing Automobile), the Land Rover factory
in Solihull
, and Cowley in Oxford (now home to BMW MINI
).
Also during the 1990s, the Heritage Motor Centre
was built on part of the site to house many historic British vehicles in a dedicated museum, The bulk of the vehicles came from companies that eventually ended up under the British Leyland umbrella.
When Rover Group was broken up by former owners BMW
, the Gaydon site was sold to Ford along with Land Rover and the Solihull plant. Ford merged Land Rover with Jaguar around 2002, who then had access to the facilities. Aston Martin
, then also part of the Ford Group then moved their headquarters to Gaydon and built a new manufacturing plant at one end of the site. Aston Martin also use the test track as part of an end of line test.
MG Rover, which had been separated from Land Rover as part of the breakup of the Group by BMW, continued to use some of the test facilities on and off until they went into administration in 2005, although they would have had to pay for the privilege.
Aston Martin was sold by Ford in 2007, and Jaguar Land Rover was sold by Ford to Tata
in 2008. The bulk of the original Gaydon facility remained under the ownership of Jaguar Land Rover.
The Jaguar Land Rover Gaydon Centre now houses one of the company's design and development centres and the headquarters of Land Rover.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
station in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
located 5.2 mi (8.4 km) east of Wellesbourne
Wellesbourne
Wellesbourne is a large village and civil parish in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of the UK. In the 2001 census the parish, which also includes the village of Walton, had a population of 5,691 Wellesbourne is a large village and civil parish in the county of Warwickshire,...
and 10.8 mi (17.4 km) north west of Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
.
Second World War
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
a RAF station was built near the village of Gaydon
Gaydon
Gaydon is a parish and village in Warwickshire, England, close to Leamington Spa. In the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 376.The village is at the junction of the B4100 and B4451 roads, a mile from Junction 12 of the M40 motorway, and is two miles north-east of Kineton.-Motor...
. This was a standard three-runway airfield similar to a number of other airfields nearby and was used mainly for training bomber crews, using Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
bombers or their trainer variants.
Cold War
Immediately after the war, training bomber crews ceased and Gaydon became a training establishment for gliderMilitary glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
pilots and gliding instructors.
The airfield was then placed under care and maintenance until the early 1950s when it was designated as a future V-bomber training base. The airfield was then completely remodelled with one single massive long and wide runway. V-bombers were then cutting-edge technology and teaching pilots who may have trained on 200 mph (89.4 m/s) Wellingtons to fly new much larger heavier and faster, nuclear capable, jet bombers was viewed with much apprehension, although in the event many of the more alarmist views proved unfounded.
On 1 January 1955 the first, 138 Squadron
No. 138 Squadron RAF
No. 138 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force that served in a variety of roles during its career, last disbanded in 1962. It was the first 'V-bomber' squadron of the RAF, flying the Vickers Valiant between 1955 and 1962....
operating Vickers Valiant
Vickers Valiant
The Vickers-Armstrongs Valiant was a British four-jet bomber, once part of the Royal Air Force's V bomber nuclear force in the 1950s and 1960s...
s reformed at Gaydon as the first V-bomber squadron and the airfield then settled down as the operational training unit for Valiant and later Victor
Handley Page Victor
The Handley Page Victor was a British jet bomber aircraft produced by the Handley Page Aircraft Company during the Cold War. It was the third and final of the V-bombers that provided Britain's nuclear deterrent. The other two V-bombers were the Avro Vulcan and the Vickers Valiant. Some aircraft...
squadrons. The airfield continued to be used for bomber crew training until September 1965 when it became home to No 2 Air Navigation School, responsible for the initial training of all RAF Navigators.
The contrast between the V-bombers and the Vickers Varsity
Vickers Varsity
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Vickers Aircraft since 1908. London: Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-815-1.* Ellis, Ken. Wrecks & Relics. Manchester, UK: Crecy Publishing, 21st edition, 2008. ISBN 9-780859-791342....
training aircraft cannot have been more pronounced. The Varsity was a replacement for the wartime Wellington with a similar performance.
When it first flew in 1949 it was reasonably advanced but, by the mid-sixties, it was definitely long in the tooth and had earned the nickname "flying pig" from the crews. Although older aircrew were quite happy to accept the slower pace of life, younger ones considered flying elderly piston-engined aircraft, at less than 200 mph (89.4 m/s), on seemingly endless pre-set courses, to be less than exciting.
Although the station was ostensibly only a training establishment, information recently de-classified reveals that Gaydon was still part of the strategic plan and in the event of war it was one of airfields to which Victor bombers would have dispersed ready to carry out nuclear strikes against the enemy.
The Air Navigation School moved to RAF Finningley
RAF Finningley
RAF Finningley is a former Royal Air Force station at Finningley, South Yorkshire, partly within the traditional county boundaries of Nottinghamshire and partly in the West Riding of Yorkshire, now wholly within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster....
, Yorkshire, in 1970 and after a short period as a maintenance facility Gaydon was reduced to Care and Maintenance status until closure on 31 October 1974.
In 1978 the airfield was bought by British Leyland, and with the subsequent development of vehicle test facilities, the site became home to what was then known as BL Technology. The main runway was converted into part of a 4 lane test track, and many other tarmac and off road tracks were created. The buildings that once housed service personnel were sold off and became the village of Lighthorne Heath
Lighthorne Heath
Lighthorne Heath is a village and civil parish in Warwickshire, England. It is located some six miles to the south east of Leamington Spa and is very close to the M40 motorway. The village began life in the 1950s, situated to the north of RAF Gaydon it housed the married airmen and officers...
.
Many of the original RAF buildings were demolished but a handful were retained and are still in use to this day. Of particular note are the airfield control tower and the two main hangars, although only one of these retains its original appearance.
New buildings and facilities have been added over the years by BL, Austin Rover, Rover Group
Rover Group
The Rover Group plc was the name given in 1986 to the British state-owned vehicle manufacturer previously known as British Leyland or BL. Owned by British Aerospace from 1988 to 1994, when it was sold to BMW, the Group was broken up in 2000 with the Rover and MG marques being acquired by the MG...
and latterly Jaguar Land Rover
Jaguar Land Rover
Jaguar Land Rover is a British automotive company owned by Tata Motors of India. It develops, manufactures and sells vehicles under the Jaguar and Land Rover marques.-History:...
, and the site became known as Gaydon Test Centre. The largest of the new buildings was the big design block. This was built during the 1990s as part of a consolidation of some of the Rover Group engineering activities from the old Canley site in Coventry (formerly a Triumph factory, now demolished), Longbridge in Birmingham (now part of SAIC
SAIC
The acronym SAIC can stand for:*Science Applications International Corporation*School of the Art Institute of Chicago*Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation*Shanghai Aviation Industrial Company*Special Agent in Charge, acronym used by some U.S...
/Nanjing Automobile), the Land Rover factory
Solihull plant
The Solihull plant is a car manufacturing factory in Lode Lane, Solihull, UK, now owned by Land Rover.The plant currently produces the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Land Rover Discovery and Land Rover Defender vehicles.-History:...
in Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
, and Cowley in Oxford (now home to BMW MINI
Mini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
).
Also during the 1990s, the Heritage Motor Centre
Heritage Motor Centre
The Heritage Motor Centre is a British motor museum and research centre, located adjacent to the Jaguar Land Rover Gaydon Centre near Gaydon in Warwickshire, England. The centre is open to the public, and houses a collection of important vehicles, celebrating Britain's motoring heritage...
was built on part of the site to house many historic British vehicles in a dedicated museum, The bulk of the vehicles came from companies that eventually ended up under the British Leyland umbrella.
When Rover Group was broken up by former owners BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
, the Gaydon site was sold to Ford along with Land Rover and the Solihull plant. Ford merged Land Rover with Jaguar around 2002, who then had access to the facilities. Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
, then also part of the Ford Group then moved their headquarters to Gaydon and built a new manufacturing plant at one end of the site. Aston Martin also use the test track as part of an end of line test.
MG Rover, which had been separated from Land Rover as part of the breakup of the Group by BMW, continued to use some of the test facilities on and off until they went into administration in 2005, although they would have had to pay for the privilege.
Aston Martin was sold by Ford in 2007, and Jaguar Land Rover was sold by Ford to Tata
Tata Motors
Tata Motors Limited is an Indian multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Mumbai, India. Part of the Tata Group, it was formerly known as TELCO...
in 2008. The bulk of the original Gaydon facility remained under the ownership of Jaguar Land Rover.
The Jaguar Land Rover Gaydon Centre now houses one of the company's design and development centres and the headquarters of Land Rover.