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Post by carmedic on Jan 30, 2016 18:27:44 GMT
The unique three story watch tower at RAF Wigsley, Nottinghamshire.  S0010001 by Chris Hall, on Flickr  S0040004 by Chris Hall, on Flickr Built as a standard bomber airfield, Wiglsey was spread over 17 sites including the Sick Quarters and Sewage Works. The watch tower was a one-off three storey design (WIG/20 & WIG/1221) and the three concrete-surfaced runways were 20/07 N/S (1400 yards/1280 m), 26/80 ENE/WSW (2000 yards/1828 m) and 32/14 (1400 yards/1280 m). Surrounding this was the perimeter track from which were 36 frying-pan heavy bomber hard standings. When the technical site was built, the road connecting the villages of Wigsley to the north and Spalford (and elsewhere), to the south was closed and formed a central avenue through the technical site. The Station ident was 'WG' Also of interest is G-AXEI Ward P.45 Gnome flew for the first time from here on 4 August 1967  now preserved at Breighton with the Real Aeroplane Company, designed and built by Michael Ward, farther of Mick Ward who I have flown with in his Taylorcraft BC-12D Twosome.  G-BTFK, G-BROR by Chris Hall, on Flickr |
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Post by graham on Jan 30, 2016 19:15:54 GMT
Thanks Chris for starting this sub forum off - there are many disused and derelict fields around here, your idea for this has made me decide to visit a few of them. Both Yatesbury and Compton Bassett are close by; there was definitely flying at Yatesbury during WW11 but I believe Compton Bassett was not an active field.
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Post by carmedic on Jan 30, 2016 19:35:24 GMT
Hi Graham, There are hundreds dotted around the country many will disappear as they get redeveloped as either housing or industrial units
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Post by Jeff on Jan 30, 2016 21:10:06 GMT
Lets chronicle then no then before they disappear all
Together
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Post by billsamuels on Jan 31, 2016 10:26:39 GMT
Lets chronicle then no then before they disappear all Together
Gentlemen, you'll have to excuse Jeff - slightly inebriated last night!!!
LOL.....
Bill
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Post by davebasing on Jan 31, 2016 10:44:41 GMT
Lets chronicle then no then before they disappear all Together
Gentlemen, you'll have to excuse Jeff - slightly inebriated last night!!!
LOL.....
Bill
No change there then!! |
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Post by Jeff on Jan 31, 2016 12:03:37 GMT
Oh dear !!! .......right......lets try again " Lets chronicle them no then before they disappear all
Together" was meant to read , lets take as many pics as possible of these disused airfields before they all become housing estates
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Post by graham on Jan 31, 2016 13:39:36 GMT
Thanks for the Pissed/English translation Jeff...;0)
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Post by carmedic on Jan 31, 2016 15:05:39 GMT
The Ward P.45 Gnome at Wigsley  and a bit of history behind it "The logistics of transporting even such a small aircraft to trials were solved by having quickly detachable wings and hitching the Gnome's tail to a Lambretta Scooter Combination (a shame no Douglas Vespa was available) At 6 o'clock one chilly Sunday morning in 1967, on the disused wartime airfield at Wigsley, near Newark Nottinghamshire, taxying trials commenced (with a sharp lookout for the local cops) . Even at the heady groundspeed of 50mph,measured by the chasing Ford Anglia, the Gnome remained a groundhog. The "pilot" Peter Anderson, told his ground crew that their experience in varying the incidence of the prop-shaft's downthrust, on true model aircraft, should be tried on the Gnome. Packing was inserted under the Dougie's crankcase and away trundled Peter, until he found he lifted off the perimeter track and was drifting over the grass.There was insufficient urge to gain altitude and the approaching treeline obliged him set the tiny 'craft down again. At this juncture a small design omission showed itself as the Gnome would not turn using just power and rudder.As the tailwheel was fixed, and unable to castor, an undesirable straight line was maintained. Assistance was summoned from a perplexed ground-crew. George produced a length of rope which was tied to the tailwheel strut. At the Pilot's command "left" George (rope anchor-man) would run right , causing the aircraft to veer enough to turn for home. these manoeuvres resulted in more than a few laughing fits, and mild exhaustion. Modifications ensued and further frosty morning sorties were made to test the craft.. During one of these missions, a local bobby on his BSA C15 arrived unexpectedly to inspect the unauthorised activity.On viewing the diminutive aeroplane,along with the trio's transport and technical equipe , it was agreed that it was unlikely to be more than just a large model, so they were left alone to play. The next unscheduled visitor to the test centre was a certain Ray Fixter,resplendent in Captain Pilot's Cap and Jacket,plus trainers. Ray had heard rumours of the midget plane,and after some camel trading and pocket-emptying the Gnome was his. Bereft of their Sunday Morning fun, Mick and his pals set to designing and building their next machine. There were no more surplus Douglas twins in the stores,so a Citroen Ami twin just had to do for the Elf...a tiny biplane. Endowed with probably three times the power and twice the wing area the Elf really took off,rather than the just super-ground-effect antics of the Gnome. Ray Fixter flew the Gnome for a year or so, and then it passed through various museums,until coming to rest high in the rafters of a hangar at Breighton in Yorkshire,where The Real Aeroplane Company watch over it(or under it) to this day. I climbed a very long ladder recently, to find the engine number and date the power-house. In 1968, the Ward Gnome was listed in two well known publications. The Guiness Book of Aviation Records showed it as the "Lightest Monoplane", at 95kg dry,and Janes All the World Aircraft thought it worthy of an entry, as an "Ultralight Monoplane". |
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Post by davebasing on Jan 31, 2016 23:02:51 GMT
For anyone interested in the subject of disused airfields in the UK can I recommend some excellent books published by After the Battle which detail (originally military) airfields in the UK with then and now photo comparisons. They have "Airfields of the US 8th Air Force"; "Airfields of the US 9th AF"; and "Airfields of Bomber Command"; in addition to a massive tome on the Battle of Britain. All of which sit on my bookcase. As my late father was on a Halifax squadron in WW2 I also have the soft back "White Rose Base" by Brian Rapier which covers the WW2 airfields of Yorkshire and also "Lincolnshire Air War" by S Finn covering what it says on the tin.
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Post by carmedic on Feb 1, 2016 15:57:55 GMT
For anyone interested in the subject of disused airfields in the UK can I recommend some excellent books published by After the Battle which detail (originally military) airfields in the UK with then and now photo comparisons. They have "Airfields of the US 8th Air Force"; "Airfields of the US 9th AF"; and "Airfields of Bomber Command"; in addition to a massive tome on the Battle of Britain. All of which sit on my bookcase. As my late father was on a Halifax squadron in WW2 I also have the soft back "White Rose Base" by Brian Rapier which covers the WW2 airfields of Yorkshire and also "Lincolnshire Air War" by S Finn covering what it says on the tin. I have the "Airfields of the 8th Air Force - Then and Now" also "World War 2 Airfields" by Phillip Birtles |
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