This week, members of the Farnborough International team visited one of Farnborough’s Aviation Landmarks: The Centrifuge. The tour, which was run by the Farnborough Air Science’s Trust (FAST), provided an insightful look into the centrifuge’s history and the important role it played in pioneering aviation technology and pilot safety.

Opened in 1955, the centrifuge was a centrepiece of research and training for over 60 years. It was operated by the Royal Air Force Institute of Aviation Medicine (IAM), with research dedicated to uncovering and ultimately overcoming the effects of high-G on pilots and equipment. The Farnborough Centrifuge was the first in the UK, designed and manufactured by British engineers, and remains the oldest in the world still in its original state.

1950s: The Jet Age

Following the Second World War, military jets continued to get faster and more complex, putting enormous pressure on the machinery itself but also demanding more from the pilots. Modern fighter jets put pilots through approximately 9G and the effects on the body are monumental, including loss of vision, lack of mobility and in severe cases a loss of consciousness (known as G-LOC).

Without any equipment, a typical pilot can withstand between 3-5G, nowhere near suitable for high-speed flight. Therefore, there was an inherent need to understand the effects of high-G on a human’s body and research ways to overcome the restrictions.

A Centrifuge in Farnborough

The UK was actually rather slow at recognising the need for a centrifuge, originally opting for in-flight testing which made it harder to record test data and maintain pilot safety. In comparison, a centrifuge enables testing to be conducted on equipment and humans in a controlled and safe environment, with medical staff on-hand to supervise every experiment.

Farnborough was chosen as the location for the UK’s first centrifuge as it was the epicentre of pioneering aviation research and development at the time. Already based at Farnborough was the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) who provided the perfect support partner for the IAM with their existing research capabilities and expertise.

What did the IAM contribute to?

Over decades of research and testing, the team at the Farnborough Centrifuge contributed to crucial developments in pilot and aircraft equipment to counteract the effects of high-G. This evolved from inflatable trousers to anti-G straining manoeuvres and finally pressurised breathing masks. Step by step, the IAM found a way to build up a pilot’s tolerance to the required 9G, enabling them to fly operations comfortably and effectively.

An RAF training video was filmed at the Farnborough centrifuge and pilots would all come to Farnborough to complete their G-force training. Astronauts too visited the centrifuge, most notably Helen Sharman, the first Briton in space, who took part in a centrifuge test as part of selection before moving to Russia for the main portion of her astronaut training.

Whilst the work conducted at the centrifuge mostly contributed to military training it also provided specialist support to the civil aviation industry.

64 Years of Pioneering History

With the opening of a new, modern centrifuge at RAF Cranwell, operations ceased at Farnborough in 2019. After 64 years, the centrifuge had completed 122,133 runs and contributed invaluably to the pioneering developments in aviation technology.

In 2022, the Farnborough Centrifuge received the Engineering Heritage Award, recognising the incredible achievements the team at Farnborough made. They join numerous other marvels of British engineering on the list including the Thames Barrier, Tower Bridge, Channel Tunnel and from the aviation world the Whittle Engine, Concorde, Harrier, Avro Vulcan and many more.

Want to know more?

You can learn more about the Farnborough Centrifuge through a video produced by media students from Farnborough College of Technology in collaboration with FAST.