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Thurleigh |
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| Built for RAF Bomber Command in 1941 it was used by the first B-24 aircraft in RAF service. The runways were extended in 1942 and it was handed over to the USAAF in June of that year. Used as a heavy bomber airfield it continued in this role until the end of the war. By 1946 the airfield had been handed back to the MOD and was heavily modified to become the Royal Aeronautical Establishment. This included further extending the main runway which was to be used by the Bristol Brabazon aircraft, which would have needed every inch, as it was a very large aircraft. In the end, it never went into production. By 1994 the airfield was decommissioned and everything was transferred to Boscombe Down. It is now used as a storage area for new cars however the main runway is maintained for possible future use. | ||