FAST Museum

Farnborough was the site where the United Kingdom conducted its main military aircraft research from 1904, when it became the Army School of Ballooning. From 1912, it was the Royal Aircraft Factory. The Farnborough Air Sciences Trust (FAST) was started in 1993 to preserve the heritage of aerospace research. FAST has an important library and archive as well as collections of models, artefacts and aircraft. Research at Farnborough contributed to the design of several of the military aircraft on display, including the Hawker Hunter and Harrier jets and the Puma and Lynx helicopters. The main building, Trenchard House, was built in 1907 as the headquarters of the balloon school. A new building was added in 2008 to house a replica of the Cody biplane, which was flown at Farnborough on 16 October 1908. A simulator allows visitors to find out what it would be like to fly such an early aircraft. Outside the museum, visitors can take a guided tour of the wind tunnels used to test aerodynamics.