Literature

Minstry Of Supply Document: © May 1954

This Ministry Of Supply document was found in the Plant House and photographed in-situ. It appeared to be a specification of the building, the facilities it would provide and the plant it required. Whilst it appears the Plant House was built to these designs, the document also includes the original ideas for plant to be used in the building.

Both Pyestock and Whetstone are given on the cover, suggesting this document was written before the two sites merged at Pyestock.

National Gas Turbine Establishment: © Circa 1973

This paper, given to the Manchester Branch of the R.Ae.S in December 1973, summarizes the organisation, function and physical testing undertaken at the site. It's an important document as it provides a snapshot of Pyestock before the new Anechoic Facility was built, and includes black and white pictures of the original Anechoic facility.

National Gas Turbine Establishment: © Circa 1975

This colourful and extremely impressive Recruitment Brochure outlines the scope of the facility and includes many archival pictures of the staff, equipment, testing cells and buildings. It also features the Anechoic Facility; the only major part of the site still in use and firmly off-limits.

Procurement Executive Brochure: © 1975

This booklet was probably produced as introductory material for those starting work on the site, or for those wanting to use its facilities. It gives a thorough overview of the air supply installations, engine test facilities and the electrical, steam, water and fuel services; but also gives lengthy descriptions of the component testing facilities, research rigs and the noise absorber rig facility and anechoic chamber facility.

Procurement Executive Brochure: © 1981

This booklet was probably produced as introductory material for those starting work on the site. Dated 1981, it gives a brief history of the N.G.T.E. before giving more detailed accounts of the Air Supply installations, the engine test facilities, data gathering techniques and the electrical, steam, water and fuel services.

Royal Aerospace Establishment Brochure: © 1988

This six page brochure was packed with colour photographs of various test cells and their control rooms. It gives brief details of the altitude test cells and the capabilities of each.

DERA Brochure: © Circa 1995-2001

DERA (the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency) was formed in April 1995 by the merging of the DGT&E and the DRA. This also consolidated the Pyestock site under one management unit again as parts were owned by each parent company. DERA continued to operate the site until July 2001 when most of the company was made public and floated on the stock exchange as QinetiQ.

Therefore this brochure was produced between 1995 and 2001. It outlines the engine testing taking place at Pyestock and the capabilities of each of the testing cells then in use. Interestingly it also refers to future plans for Cell 3 West, but it isn’t known if these were ever carried out.

DERA Brochure: © Circa 1996

Produced by DERA, this colourful and well-designed brochure covered the history of the development of the gas turbine and Pyestock. It also included many archive black-and-white photographs from the early days of the site.