The Black Sheds

[Deleted]

Sorry if this is a very silly question, but I can't find an answer to the basic question any where else., Which are the famous Farmborough Black Sheds?

There are two "sheds" that are black remaining at Farnborough; the one immediately behind the FAST museum site just by the start/finish of the main runway, and another about opposite the old airship hanger frame on the new office site, and parallel to the runway.

I have always thought that the "real" black sheds were the first mentioned, ie behind FAST and near the runway start/finish, but a friend has now cast doubt on this.

Knowing how knowlegeable are menbers of this forum, I am sure someone will put me right. Your help, please.

[Deleted]

mmm, thats a good question, I had always assumed the one parallel to the runway were the famous black sheds, however after being inside the one behind the FAST museum a couple of years back and wondering how these things are staying up, I asked the question why they are in such bad condition...the reply from memory was 2 fold, 1/ there is a lot of asbestos in them , 2/ they cant be touched due to being listed !! Im assuming they will eventually fall down due to the fact no-one can touch them because of the listing order !!bit of a catch 22 that one ....lol Anyway, in my opinion, I think both sets are known as the black sheds :-)

[Deleted]

The Black Sheds...You're on finals to runway 24, assuming you miss the Swan you get a view of the Black Sheds beneath you just prior to reaching the runway threshold. That should give you a fix as to where they are. They live up to their name of being 'black', and have recently undergone a major refurb so as to become BAe Systems' archive store.

In the days when the BBC gave Farnborough Air Show live coverage, and I always looked forward to their broadcasts from Farnborough with much excitement, the Black Sheds were a feature of Raymond Baxter's perfect commentary. "..and now coming in over the Black Sheds is Neville Duke in the prototype Hawker Hunter..". Not only the BBC, dear John Blake often used the Black Sheds to point spectators' heads in the right direction. In the fifties when jet flight started to really speed up, when sonic booms were not infrequent, the spectators had the exciting experience of hearing the aircraft after it had passed by..often causing necks to twist both ways at the same time to try and see what it was that made that infernal din! Glorious days...

I understand that the 'sheds' are indeed listed, and will remain a feature of Farnborough's focal point - the airfield.

Hope that helps a bit, and please correct me if I'm at all wrong in any way...

PB

[Deleted]

No refurbishment has taken place to the black sheds directly underneath 24 approach, however the blacksheds running parallel to the runway (Where the red Arrows park) has seen some work done ! so the original question is still not answered!! I still advocate that both sets of Black shed mentioned above are "The Black Sheds" in the OP question

Jeff

[Deleted]

The black sheds are as peebee stated on the 24 threshold and as he pointed out have recently been renovated for the storage. Of course if you look at 1950s footage they were much longer in those days think the tragic Atlantic crash at the Airshow helped to shorten them MB

[Deleted]

The black sheds are as peebee stated on the 24 threshold and as he pointed out have recently been renovated for the storage. Of course if you look at 1950s footage they were much longer in those days think the tragic Atlantic crash at the Airshow helped to shorten them MB

[Deleted]

Thought the Atlantique crahed into the sheds on the East Apron ?

[Deleted]

This is the other "Black Shed" sited behind FAST on the airfield side

www.willes-simpson-woods.co.uk/blacksheds.html

[Buster the Bear]

I thought that it was a new dispay team flying Short 330s (The Black Sheds)

[Buster the Bear]

£1 million...wow! I cannot think of may airport operators that would spend that kind of money, even though it is 'listed'. Good to see it back in use.

[Deleted]

Many thanks, chaps for your helpful contributions on this subject.

Seems like those behind FAST and almost on the threshold of Runway 24 are the ones I was thinking of.

However, if I were looking for somewhere safe to store a valuable, historic archive, I'm not too sure that I'd be happy to put it in a building so placed.

[chevvron]

There were originally two identical sheds in the 24/25 undershoot but one was demolished due to it's poor state of repair, the Atlantique crash playing no part as it hit the RAE canteen/assembly rooms first