The worlds longest airship

Is that the rear end?
 
I pass Cardington hangers on a regular basis, hopefully it'll be "allowed out" soon :thumbs:
The other one used to fly over quite regularly before it was decommissioned ( I think that's what happened anyway)
 
I think that's the part where excess gas is let out.
 
It's just a bum steer.
 
I look forward seeing that in the air.
 
@Cobra I used to go past Cardington a lot too when I was on call to Chicksands. Have they done up the other hangar yet?
Interesting note with regards this but if memory serves me correctly, one of the investors is Bruce Dickinson the lead singer of Iron Maiden.
 
bigfub said:
@Cobra I used to go past Cardington a lot too when I was on call to Chicksands. Have they done up the other hangar yet?
Interesting note with regards this but if memory serves me correctly, one of the investors is Bruce Dickinson the lead singer of Iron Maiden.
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I used to lecture at the old Civil Service Residential Training Centre Cardington (RTCC) in the late 70s and it was always amazing to see the airship hangars open their doors.

In the early part of 2003 I returned to undertake an envoironmental review on the new Dept for Transport training centre at Cardington which is in the old military site offering a good view of the sheds. One of them was being used as a Film Studio lot/store.

Good that an airship is back.

Must dig out the pictures I took of the hangars.
 
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:P
 
bigfub said:
I used to go past Cardington a lot too when I was on call to Chicksands. Have they done up the other hangar yet?
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I've not been up close and personal for a few years, but they both look good from the by-pass.
However I do know that one of the hangers is used as a film studio, Parts of Batman and Harry Potter ( and more) were filmed there.
Whether or not that was pre this air-ship and the same hanger I don't know.
They've certainly had a lick of green paint though.
 
Cobra said:
I've not been up close and personal for a few years, but they both look good from the by-pass.
However I do know that one of the hangers is used as a film studio, Parts of Batman and Harry Potter ( and more) were filmed there.
Whether or not that was pre this air-ship and the same hanger I don't know.
They've certainly had a lick of green paint though.
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I think the film company has been there for quite some time. It was certainy there in 2003 which was my last visit. Not likely I will return myself - I am (nearly) fullt retired. Amazing history all the same.

The Driving Standards Agency have their driving test staff training area beside the hangars and they train their motorbike test staff on a purpose built track there.
 
Hugh Jarse said:
Amazing history all the same.
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What was the previous one? I'm trying to remember was it the "Dunlop" airship?
It'd often come over me (in MK) on high days and holidays.
 
Cobra said:
What was the previous one? I'm trying to remember was it the "Dunlop" airship?
It'd often come over me (in MK) on high days and holidays.
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Loads of uses for what was a unique facility.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Cardington

Has a good bit of info and I was just looking at it to see reference to the Driving Standards Agency.

When I was there in 2003, the older part of the site was cleared and zoned for new housing development. 13 years on I daresay that is well established but, like a lot of military bases facilities, the whole place was under siege from Rabbits, Hares, moles etc.

It would make an interesing spot for a TP gathering if permission could be gained. I am trying to remember where my picture files are. I think they were copied to CD-ROM for the client. I think I used my first digital camera on that commission. A Fuji Finepix 2800S or EOS300D (both of which I still have). Must check my diaries. I also did RAF Chicksands (loads of problems with escaped Mink there) and Port Solent around that time too.
 
Hugh Jarse said:
When I was there in 2003, the older part of the site was cleared and zoned for new housing development. 13 years on I daresay that is well established
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The only housing that I am aware of is "Shortstown" but that's been there a lot of years, housing for base workers.

CH1.jpg



Hugh Jarse said:
I also did RAF Chicksands (loads of problems with escaped Mink there)
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I'm not really surprised as there is a lot of water around there, not least the River Flit, that basically boarders the (ex) base
 
Cobra said:
The only housing that I am aware of is "Shortstown" but that's been there a lot of years, housing for base workers.

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I'm not really surprised as there is a lot of water around there, not least the River Flit, that basically boarders the (ex) base
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I was surprised at the zoning as the "bunnies" were everywhere and the new DSA training centre/accomodation/garage-workshop was getting a lot of rabbit damage from their eating the uPVC fascias and pipework!

The propsed housing would have beed 25 yards away!
 
Cobra said:
I guess it never happened then :D
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Well the Department for Transport was my main client so I did a few of their commissions (like Port Solent (Leigh-on-Solent airfield), Highways Agency etc) so rarrely went back.

What I did think, at the time, was there was no way I would have built on the warren despite some of the views nearby!

My other client ack then was the MoD - very interesting estate.......
 
Hugh Jarse said:
What I did think, at the time, was there was no way I would have built on the warren despite some of the views nearby!
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Being a pest controller, I can honestly say that wouldn't be an issue.
It wouldn't take that long to clear them out and "settle" the site.
 
Cobra said:
Being a pest controller, I can honestly say that wouldn't be an issue.
It wouldn't take that long to clear them out and "settle" the site.
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Given the 'need' for housing it surprises me that houses would not ne built. No high levels of Radon etc either.

Are Mink on your list of services ?
 
Hugh Jarse said:
Given the 'need' for housing it surprises me that houses would not ne built.
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Me too, I didn't realise that it was "up" for development TBH.

Hugh Jarse said:
No high levels of Radon etc either.
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Always a bonus :D


Hugh Jarse said:
Are Mink on your list of services ?
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Mink are non-indigenous vermin and should be destroyed on site, or at the very least notify the land owner / local council. who are under obligation to destroy them.
 
Cobra said:
Me too, I didn't realise that it was "up" for development TBH.


Always a bonus :D



Mink are non-indigenous vermin and should be destroyed on site, or at the very least notify the land owner / local council. who are under obligation to destroy them.
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They were 'taking' cygnets.... the specialist captured 1.... in 4 weeks!

One of my other ex RAF sites was infested with Muntjack deer. 320 'removed' in one day. The Scottish Foestry people are anxious those little fellows don't get too far up to their part of the UK.

I like the old military sites. Like Cardington, loads of interesting history.
 
Left shed is the one currently being re-built and HAV (airship builder) uses this one, looks nearly finished from the outside. Right one was done about 10 years ago and is used for film production and sound stages. Unfortunately there is planning permission to completely surround the sheds in housing. "New Cardington" has been built around the diverted A600, which will infill all the way to Southill Road (recently sold to another developer) and around the sheds back to the A600. The new development's s106 was used to fund rebuilding shed 1 but the issues they've had with "Wixams" (A new town like New Cardington just a few miles away) it's going to be a large development with very little facilities.
 
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Hugh Jarse said:
They were 'taking' cygnets.... the specialist captured 1.... in 4 weeks!
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Its not that common for them to take something that size, tbh ducklings are a lot easier, fish, crayfish even carrion, are more on their diet sheet.
But yes they are vicious bastids & will go for most things.

Hugh Jarse said:
One of my other ex RAF sites was infested with Muntjack deer. 320 'removed' in one day.
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Yep we have the ( 11th I think) Duke of Bedford, ( Woburn estate) in the late 1800's to thank for importing those from China.
From where they escaped and became feral.


Hugh Jarse said:
I like the old military sites. Like Cardington, loads of interesting history.
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And for a seemly sleepy town "of the day" there is a lot of wartime history here also....
I live a stones throw from Bletchley Park, although I've lived here for many many years I only "thought" to go there a couple of years ago, strange :D
There was also a bomber training airfield at Stewkley thats just a few miles away, from here, and very nearly became Londons 3rd airport.
but there was enough local opposition ( and famous people living in the vicinity) to get that stopped!

One bomb fell on the edge of Bletchley park, in 1940 it failed to explode.
The general consensus is, it was just "dumped" by a returning German plane, rather than a deliberate act,
Although some also say they were aiming at the railway, just a few hundred yards away.


The local brick yard, ( no longer here) just a couple of miles from Bletchley park, some of the kilns were used to store ammunition.
TBH its amazing that this area didn't get the crap bombed out of it during the war.
 
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Steeps said:
it's going to be a large development with very little facilities.
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Now why doesn't that surprise me? :(

Interesting read :)
 
The old brick yard (Stewartby) was going to be the site for the Nirah project (4-6x bigger than Eden but for Aquatic research) but it failed to get private funding and planning permission expired a few years ago... this land also backs onto the Wixams development area. The 140 acre site had cost tax payers over £4m to get the project started and was sold off to a Luton based property developer for £125k.

I know it's going a bit off topic but it's frustrating that the sheds are going to be surrounded by housing when the local authorities sell off land for cheap in prime locations and cut back on other services.
 
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its not an airship by definition :--) hence the "hybrid"

Anyway I live about 4 or 5 miles away and regularly go past, the shed that the HAV is in currently has been completely restored, that was part of the deal on getting the planning permission for the many many many new houses :-(

Today is the day that its been complete ie the HAV and is being free floated for a Media day, so I suspect theres going to be loads of publicity in the next few days, also, they have to wait for perfect conditions for getting it outside for the flight testing as per CAA regs apparantly, so could be in the sky in as little as a week.

previous airship (actually a blimp) was the Good Year ships 4/ 5 years ago.

album here https://www.flickr.com/photos/thisisdonnie/albums/72157626298802720

gy013 by Donnie Canning, on Flickr
 
Steeps said:
The old brick yard (Stewartby) was going to be the site for the Nirah project (4-6x bigger than Eden but for Aquatic research) but it failed to get private funding and planning permission
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I suspect that being right on top of a landfill site didn't help

Steeps said:
it's frustrating that the sheds are going to be surrounded by housing when the local authorities sell off land for cheap in prime locations and cut back on other services.
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Couldn't agree more :(
 
I wonder how feasible it is to keep a fleet flying, considering the shortage of helium.

The US has a substantial need for it for their military.
 
Go on then who knows where the word BLIMP came from. No googling now.
 
Yet there are those (and sorry I did google it) who say that the British never had such a thing as a B-Limp
 
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