Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group has installed the largest fully-enclosed engine test structure in Europe at its UK headquarters in Cambridge.

The new Ground Running Enclosure (GRE), which is the size of a football pitch, significantly reduces noise during aircraft ground testing and can accommodate aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 747-400, say the firm in a release.

“The multi-million pound structure significantly reduces noise impact in the immediate vicinity of Cambridge Airport where most of Marshall ADG’s specialist applied engineering work is undertaken on aircraft from across the globe.”

Marshall ADG CEO, Alistair McPhee, said:

“It’s a very exciting development for us. This facility gives us great flexibility in terms of the breadth of aircraft it can accommodate, while at the same time ensuring we are living up to our commitment to reduce any potential noise pollution for our neighbours.”

The new GRE is 90m wide and 20m high and enables conditioning of the airflow to the propellers and jet engine intakes.

Construction began in May last year by Blast Deflectors, Inc. It will be fully up and running by the end of October.

Avatar photo
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
14 Comments
oldest
newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Geoffrey Roach
Geoffrey Roach
5 years ago

Hardly a day goes by and we learn about another high tech British product or facility . Post Brexit ??? we will need it all to stay at the cutting edge.

Herodotus
5 years ago
Reply to  Geoffrey Roach

We’ll find out tomorrow Geoffrey!

Geoffrey Roach
Geoffrey Roach
5 years ago
Reply to  Herodotus

I hope your right H, I really do. Everything crossed.

Mark B
Mark B
5 years ago
Reply to  Geoffrey Roach

Surprised at DUP – remarkable compromise in the deal. Are they not unnecessarily overplaying their hand and risking a very unhappy bunch of fellow citizens who have thus far backed them to the hilt?

Herodotus
5 years ago
Reply to  Mark B

The Irish question would always come back to haunt us! We have had to compromise at every turn since the creation of the Irish State. Better that we had got it over an done with then…instead of dragging it out ad infinitum!

james
james
5 years ago
Reply to  Geoffrey Roach

Right Geoff, and we need the government, any UK government, to help UK companies resist from being acquired by American hedge funds etc., both Sophos and Cobham are two recent targets and examples of great UK ventures loosing control of their futures. The so called special relationship with the US is all one way and one sided.

Mark
Mark
5 years ago

Seems a bit odd building this, when I thought plans were in motion for Marshall to relocate to a new “as yet to be determined” site.
Or did I miss the piece where the move got cancelled

Mark
Mark
5 years ago

I forgot to add the BBC link from May of this year

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-48269651

Herodotus
5 years ago
Reply to  Mark

Perhaps realising their property assets at Cambridge was outweighed by the cost of relocation. The loss of skilled engineering workers might have been a key issue, especially with EU sourced engineers potentiall drying up!

Mike
Mike
5 years ago

We could have done with this building in the mid-sixties when the RAF Wittering Wing Victors were doing “slam” tests of their engines!

james
james
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Mike that was my Uncle Frank, or “Red” as he was known as.

James
James
5 years ago

If this fence can mount a ciws then I’m all for it

julian1
julian1
5 years ago

i’m pretty sure Heathrow achieves something similar around the engineering/T4 side with that huge wall on the A30. Perhaps not as expansive or effective though

Fen Tiger
Fen Tiger
5 years ago
Reply to  julian1

Published move to wherever’ date is 2030 so they would get 10 years use out of it’.