Airfix Control Tower - Info?

[dr_gn]

100SRV said:

What are the numbers "25" for?

Runway number I think.

[Eric Mc]

Or wind heading? On grass airfields there would not be so much a runway as a general direction to land and take off based on the wind heading.

I'm only guessing but I always assumed it was linked to a runway or wind heading.

I know even today smaller airfields sometimes have a wind direction "T" laid out in front of the control tower.

[dr_gn]

It's unlikely they'd constantly change the numbers to match wind direction - a wind sock would cover that.

Changing the numbers to indicate which direction the runway was used is more likely - especially if radio silence was being observed. The numbers on the Farnborough tower match the runway direction (pretty much), and appear to be changeable.

The Airfix tower is typical of the design used for bomber stations, which would have had runways.

Edited by dr_gn on Saturday 5th December 18:10

[V8FGO]

Found this !!

http://www.controltowers.co.uk/Tower%20Designs.htm

Surely there would have been a windsock for wind direction.

25/06 being the landing/take off heading.

[Eric Mc]

I wasn't disagreeing. I was just suggesting that it might also be the general indicator of landing direction - whether on a runway or on a grass airfield.

Bomber airfields were often grass too - until the four engined heavies became the norm.

[RichB]

Eric Mc said:

On grass airfields there would not be so much a runway as a general direction to land and take off based on the wind heading.

Obviously I wasn't flying during the war when it may have been more random but certainly now grass airfields do have designated runways referred to with a two digit reference number corresponding to their heading. White Waltham, for example is an all grass airfield and has three runways (meaning six directional numbers). Coincidentally one of them is 25

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

The Airfix 'Watch Office' does not accurately represent any wartime building whatsoever but is more a 'generic impression' of such.

As I am sure you are aware, wartime airfield buildings were built to a series of standard designs which had been laid down in the 'Post 1934 Expansion Scheme'. Indeed the glass structure atop the bulding is totally spurious for a wartime Watch Office.

Your best bet is to trawl the Airfield Information Exchange fora for photos.

WRT the number boards these do infact give the runway in use ie runway QDM [magnetic heading of the centreline +/- 5 degrees) but these are USAAF style.

RAF airfields had a 'signal square' to the front of the Watch Office with a 'T' marker indicating runway QDM (ie the head of the T), an arrow showing circuit direction, as well as a 2 letter code showing the airfield designator (this is still done today eg CW = Cranwell, BK Barkston Heath). Adjacent to the signal square would be the main windsock (usually a 25 kt design - that is to say that when the sock is horizontal there is 25 kts of wind).

If you really want an accurate WW2 Watch Office then check out the Flightpath range by David Parkins.

Hope this helps.

[Wacky Racer]

Interesting opening WW2 airfield scenes in "The way to the stars".....1945.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vCJCm7T-J0

In America this film was released as "Johnny in the clouds"....film shot on location at Bedale, North Yorkshire

[EskimoArapaho]

dr_gn said:

I've got this old favourite in the stash (along with all the old Airfix RAF vehicle sets) to finally build to a good standard rather than my childhood efforts:



I was wondering if anyone (Lufbramatt?) knew if it was based upon a specific tower, or was it - as I suspect - generic of the type?

Also, does anyone know of any online references, or books about WW2 control towers that show the subtle detail of these buildings? I'm looking for references for what was in the watch tower at the top, and things like anemometer/meteorology/singalling equipment.

Ta.

My first thought was that it looked like a slightly smaller version of the one at Martlesham Heath (Suffolk): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Martlesham_Heath...

[dr_gn]

Ginetta G15 Girl said:

The Airfix 'Watch Office' does not accurately represent any wartime building whatsoever but is more a 'generic impression' of such.

As I am sure you are aware, wartime airfield buildings were built to a series of standard designs which had been laid down in the 'Post 1934 Expansion Scheme'. Indeed the glass structure atop the bulding is totally spurious for a wartime Watch Office.

Your best bet is to trawl the Airfield Information Exchange fora for photos.

WRT the number boards these do infact give the runway in use ie runway QDM [magnetic heading of the centreline +/- 5 degrees) but these are USAAF style.

RAF airfields had a 'signal square' to the front of the Watch Office with a 'T' marker indicating runway QDM (ie the head of the T), an arrow showing circuit direction, as well as a 2 letter code showing the airfield designator (this is still done today eg CW = Cranwell, BK Barkston Heath). Adjacent to the signal square would be the main windsock (usually a 25 kt design - that is to say that when the sock is horizontal there is 25 kts of wind).

If you really want an accurate WW2 Watch Office then check out the Flightpath range by David Parkins.

Hope this helps.

Yes thanks, I've seen the Flightpath version, and their interior set. They are - understandably - expensive. TBH I don't particularly want a 100% accurate structure: I wanted to keep the original generic Airfix design (simply because it's a bit of a classic), and add some equally generic details.

ETA there are - according to Google - quite a few WW2 images of control towers with the square structure on top, e.g. the ones of Framlingham and Debden.

Edited by dr_gn on Saturday 5th December 20:33

[dr_gn]

EskimoArapaho said:

dr_gn said:

I've got this old favourite in the stash (along with all the old Airfix RAF vehicle sets) to finally build to a good standard rather than my childhood efforts:



I was wondering if anyone (Lufbramatt?) knew if it was based upon a specific tower, or was it - as I suspect - generic of the type?

Also, does anyone know of any online references, or books about WW2 control towers that show the subtle detail of these buildings? I'm looking for references for what was in the watch tower at the top, and things like anemometer/meteorology/singalling equipment.

Ta.

My first thought was that it looked like a slightly smaller version of the one at Martlesham Heath (Suffolk): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Martlesham_Heath...

True, but it has a balcony thing, the Airfix version doesn't.

[Eric Mc]

I think the Airfix one is OK as a general backdrop type structure in a diorama.

Is Flightpath still going?

[EskimoArapaho]

dr_gn said:

True, but it has a balcony thing, the Airfix version doesn't.

Yes, it was the window spacing and design that instantly reminded me. Crittal or similar?

As for the balcony, is it a modular design. It looks as if the bottom storey on the Airfix has a wall brought out to the edge of what would have been its balcony.

[dr_gn]

EskimoArapaho said:

dr_gn said:

True, but it has a balcony thing, the Airfix version doesn't.

Yes, it was the window spacing and design that instantly reminded me. Crittal or similar?

As for the balcony, is it a modular design. It looks as if the bottom storey on the Airfix has a wall brought out to the edge of what would have been its balcony.

On the Airfix version, it's almost as if someone mis-interpreted a drawing elevation, and made the 'front' lower wall flush with the edge of the balcony instead of with the wall above. Under the circumstances (WW2), adding a balcony to a square block would probably be more practical to build than stepping the wall out like that, and having to support/reinforce a short flat bit of roof.

Whatever...for the sake of this exercise, it looks OK to me.

[951TSE]

You mentioned Carew, it's still very much open just not all the time, you may find some useful info on this page from their website, it seems to include measurements

http://carewcheritoncontroltower.co.uk/airfield-bu...

[perdu]

The tower (watch office) I mentioned at Halfpenny Green has a similar layout to the kit G

The upper 'balcony' is used as the terrace for the cafe and does have a similar roof structure ISTR, but like a good little civvy I didn't try getting my Meccano knees up the iron ladder to watch this


Which was taken from the 'balcony'

The upper storey is about six feet less all round than the lower section so the Airfix one is as different from it as the others but the upper has railings round three sides

I should have taken pictures of the tower it seems

Sorry

I would use the Airfix doors and windows and adjust the rest to suit

Slaters make a good selection of Polycard

Edited by perdu on Sunday 6th December 21:58

[lufbramatt]

perdu said:

I would use the Airfix doors and windows and adjust the rest to suit

Slaters make a good selection of Polycard

Will's "Craftsman" kits work like that, made a few for my dad's model railway, half a step up from scratch building but good fun once you get a decent set of tools together.

[marcosgt]

Eric Mc said:

The view from up there is great!

M.

[Eric Mc]

They do conduct tours of the tower and hangars although so far I've not been able to take the opportunity to have a look around.

[dr_gn]

perdu said:

The tower (watch office) I mentioned at Halfpenny Green has a similar layout to the kit G

The upper 'balcony' is used as the terrace for the cafe and does have a similar roof structure ISTR, but like a good little civvy I didn't try getting my Meccano knees up the iron ladder to watch this

Which was taken from the 'balcony'

The upper storey is about six feet less all round than the lower section so the Airfix one is as different from it as the others but the upper has railings round three sides

I should have taken pictures of the tower it seems

Sorry

I would use the Airfix doors and windows and adjust the rest to suit

Slaters make a good selection of Polycard

This is kind of like it:



...but not quite.

Thing is, if I was going to scratchbuild any of the main structure, it's such a ssimple structure I might as well do the whole lot and base it on a real tower. I want to keep the Airfix structure really, even though the missing cantelever balcony is annoying me now; it seems like a common feature.