View allAll Photos Tagged coldwar
Portrait of the late East German leader Erich Honecker adds Coldwar period atmosphere to this Trabant, seen during the SALT-4 Rally, Wiltshire & Berkshire, June 2010. The SALT Rallies are the UKs only classic car tours designed specifically for Eastern European and vehicles of Cold War interest (vehicles must have been built on or before December 26, 1991).
Experience from WWII identified that there would be a need for increased protection from enemy aircraft if the UK was ever faced with the prospact of being at war again. Although the ROC was finding that aircraft monitoring was becoming increasingly difficult to plot with the development of new faster aircraft, new aircraft monitoring posts were developed to assist observers to monitor aircraft.
The idea for these new posts originated in 1947, however it was only during 1951/52 as part of the programme to update the air defences through the Rotor Plan that more substantial buildings were built to offer at least some level of protection from the elements or attack. Although some of these new structures were built of brick, many sites received pre-cast concrete panelled structures known as 'Orlit' posts, after the manufacturers of the structures Messrs Orlit Ltd.
These Orlit structures were split into two sections. The entrance door led into the smaller roofed section which was used as a shelter and store with a sliding door into the open section which housed the post instrument and chart on top of a wooden mounting. Two types of Orlit posts existed, the Orlit 'A' was at ground level and the Orlit 'B' was raised 6 ft on four legs with a ladder for access.
Schnellboot S58 Pinguin P6158. 5. Schnellbootgeschwader Olpenitz.
GUIDED-MISSILE PATROL BOATS
Type 148 Tiger class fast attack craft
5th Fast attack craft squadron
scrapped 2003
The Kelvedon Nuclear Bunker
Hidden in a wood off the A128 Ongar - Brentwood Road, is a small bungalow which hides a big secret. Behind it lies a three floored bunker complex in which 600 people would have been confined behind blast proof doors in the event of a nuclear war.
The deep, 125 foot, bunker was built in 1952/3 as part of Rotor, an urgent government building programme to improve Britain's air defence network. The bunker was the Sector Operations Command for the RAF Fighter Command. Known as SOC - R4, it was to provide command and control of the London Sector of Fighter Command.
Once into the bungalow, it leads to a 100 yard tunnel before you are in the bunker itself. Above you are two more floors, the 'hill' which covers it, and a radio mast, one of two, which would have been vital for communications.
The reason for the bunker was to take on a far more potentially catastrophic role in the 1960's. Because of the threat of nuclear war the bunker became the regional government bunker for London. The aim of the bunker was that it was to be one of the government administration centres communicating with the many other smaller bunkers situated throughout the country, organising the country after a nuclear attack.
20,000 GALLON STATIC WATER TANK –
To the south of building 63 is a covered 12,000 gallon water tank (Drg No. 400/53) and pump (Ta) for fire fighting. This was supplemented by three 20,000 gallon Static Water Tanks arranged around the inner access road.
RAF Barnham (also known as Barnham Camp) is a Royal Air Force station situated in Suffolk two miles south of Thetford, it is located to the north of the village of Barnham on Thetford Heaths, the camp is a satellite station of RAF Honington. During the 1950's and 1960's a part of RAF Barnham Station was set aside as high-security storage facility for Nuclear Weapons, this area of the site is now a scheduled monument. Earlier than that, RAF Barnham had been used as a Chemical Weapons Store and Filling Station from the 22nd August 1939. In the early 1960's, the Nuclear Weapons Storage facility was put up for sale, and now forms the privately owned Gorse Industrial Estate.
The Chemical Weapon Store and former Chemical Weapon Filling Station are situated down the dead-end Station Road. The present main gate of RAF Barnham can be found directly off the Bury Road A134 between Barnham village and Thetford, the entrance to the former Nuclear Weapons Store (now Gorse Industrial Estate) can be found on the Elveden Road between Barnham village and the old A11.
Military facilities have existed at Barnham since the First World War, and during the Second World War Barnham had been a Chemical Weapons Storage and Filling Station for Mustard Gas. During 1953 and 1954 construction began on a high-security RAF Bomb Store on the Thetford Heath. The site was to become known as RAF Barnham and construction was completed in 1955 with the site operational from September 1956. RAF Barnham was constructed as a sister-site to a similar facility constructed a few years before at RAF Faldingworth. Both sites were built to store and maintain Free-Fall Nuclear Bombs and RAF Barnham was able to supply the Bomber Squadrons at RAF Honington, RAF Marham, RAF Watton, RAF Wyton, RAF Upwood and RAF Bassingbourn, RAF Barnham came under the control of the RAF's No. 94 Maintenance Unit.
The operational life of RAF Barnham was relatively short, by the early 1960's this type of Storage Facility became obsolete as Free-Fall Nuclear Bombs were superseded as the weapon of choice, for the British Nuclear Deterrent, by the Blue Steel Stand-Off Missile. The storage and maintenance of Nuclear Weapons moved to the V Bomber Airfields. The last Nuclear Weapons were probably removed from the site by April 1963, the site was sold in 1966, and since that date it has been used as a light industrial estate.
The site was built specifically to store and maintain Free-Fall Nuclear Bombs, such as 'Blue Danube' this specific purpose was reflected in the facility's layout, the site was roughly pentagonal in shape, it consisted of three large Non-Nuclear Component Stores, surrounded by earthwork banking and a number of smaller Storage Buildings to hold the Fissile Cores, the Cores were held in Stainless Steel Containers sunk into the ground, with the larger buildings stored the Bomb Casings and the High-Explosive elements of the weapons.
The smaller Stores known as ''Hutches'' were constructed to hold the Fissile Core of the weapons, these Hutches were further divided into type 'A' and 'B'. The 'A' Type hutches having a single borehole for the storage of Plutonium Cores and the 'B' Type Hutches having a double borehole for storing the Cobalt cores. In total, there were 55 Hutches giving enough capacity to store 64 Fissile Cores. RAF Barnham had sufficient storage capacity for 132 Fissile Cores although it's likely that only a small number were ever stored there as only 25 Blue Danube Bombs were ever built at a cost of £1M per bomb !
In addition to the storage buildings, the site consisted of a number of other buildings including a Fire Station, RAF Police Flight, Administration Block, Mess block, Mechanical Transport Section, Kennels and Workshops. The Perimeter of the Site was protected by a double system of Chain Link Fencing and an Inner Concrete Panel Wall, all of which were topped with Barbed Wire. In 1959 security was enhanced by the building of Watch Towers around the Perimeter.
The former Nuclear Bomb Storage facilities are designated as a scheduled monument by English Heritage with several buildings on the site having listed building status. RAF Barnham is a Satellite Station for RAF Honington and is used by the RAF Regiment for training, It is used as an accommodation and training venue for the Potential Gunners Acquaintance Course (PGAC) The adjacent MoD Training Area remains the property of the Ministry of Defence and is still used by the RAF Regiment, as well as the Air Training Corps and Combined Cadet Force for training.
In January 2016, it was announced that RAF Barnham would close, A 'Better Defence Estate' published in November 2016, indicates that the Ministry of Defence will dispose of the site by 2020, domestic accommodation will be relocated to RAF Honington, with access to Barnham Training Area maintained, this was later extended to 2022.
Information sourced from – en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Barnham
STERILE AREA –
RAF Barnham Nuclear Weapons Storage Facility was heavily secured and at the time was probably one of the most secure locations in the United Kingdom. The security element was the responsibility of the RAF Police (RAFP). Personnel from differing operating periods at RAF Barnham have stated that there were up to three varieties of RAF Police specialisations working at the site: 'Provost' 'Station' and 'Qualified Police Dog' (dog handlers).
As well as a standard outer fence and main gate picket post, the facility included an inner perimeter fence and within that an inner concrete wall with another picket post. The area between these two latter perimeters was classed as ''sterile'', with trip wires and flares in the gap between them and atop the wall, to alert the guard force to intruders. Pole-mounted lighting was positioned at regular intervals within the sterile area and halfway between the towers was a V-shaped bulge in the fence to allow patrolling guards the ability to look up and down the fence line from a small path that ran within the area. A telephone post was located at these bulges.
Two electric sliding gates at the outer and inner fence and a traditional style split middle wire gate acted as ''vehicle traps'' for any vehicle driving in or out. At the front sliding gate was a personnel turnstile controlled by the RAFP guardroom. At the rear sliding gate was personnel access to the inner picket where flammables and other contraband (matches, cigarettes, lighters etc) were surrendered before entering the ''Danger Area''.
RAFP Dog Handlers patrolled the site and the RAFP station staff manned the watch towers and pickets. The area between the outer and middle fence was patrolled by the Dog Handlers, with elements of the outer perimeter reportedly just spools of barbed wire.
Five Watch Towers, one at each point of the pentagonal fence, were located on the inside of the middle fencing when the site was decommissioned. These were accessible along the path within the sterile area near the fence line, some elements of which are still visible under the moss and foliage. A 6th vantage point was located on the maintenance building towards the centre of the compound. Each tower could see the others at the time of operational use (trees get in the way now) and were fitted with searchlights at a third of the way up and right at the top, possibly similar to those used on ships. It has been reported that the angle of the lights had to be limited as the Officer Commanding RAF Lakenheath had made complaints that his pilots were getting dazzled by RAF Barnham's watch towers.
The existing tall metal towers were believed to have been installed in late 1959/early 1960. Prior to this there were wooden ones, described as being pretty basic and about 15ft high, with a base around 6ft square with a large searchlight mounted in the centre which could be swung almost 360° in either direction. Access was reportedly by a wooden ladder and there was a single railing round about waist height. There was a field telephone at the top of the ladder and ''special'' binoculars were issued. The platforms were in roughly the same positions of the new towers but on the inside of the concrete path. It has been reported by another source that when the new towers were built, the fences had to be modified to accommodate them, via a U-shaped cut-out, visible on the site today.
A former RAFP Dog Handler stated that before being posted to Barnham, you and more importantly your dog had to gain at least 90% in exams/tests, meaning they had some of the best personnel and animals in the trade. In comparison, the RAFP Station staff stated that they received no special training as such for the role. They did get sent on a special security course, but that it was of little relevance or use to RAF Barnham. They simply classed it as another security related job. Some have stated that they spent a lot of time on the range, with many of the Police being marksmen. It has been reported that the RAFP were issued automatic 9mm pistols towards the end of the site's operational period, replacing the Smith and Wesson .38 that had been in common use.
The shift pattern recalled by most RAFP personnel spoken to consisted of 9 consecutive shifts comprising 3 evenings (1500-2300), 3 midnights (2300-0700) and 3 days (0700-1500) which would then be followed by 2 days off. Approximately 14 Station staff were on shift, comprising of one Sergeant shift controller, one Corporal deputy shift controller and 12 others, some made up of National Service personnel. Therefore, with an off duty shift, this meant a guard force of around 56, plus all of the ''X'' flight staff (the term used for those involved with the weapon convoys), which had around 14 personnel. It was usually an hour on and an hour off on the old wooden watch towers. The Dog Handler shift patterns were (1800-0000) and (0000-0600), with no day patrols, around 8 dogs were on site at a time.
This and other RAFP sources have said that the security personnel knew very little about the goings on inside, even with the vantage points of the towers. It is reported that all movements were specially screened to be hidden from view, with even the large bombs themselves sheeted. One RAFP officer had even reported as quipping to a convoy commander about ''another glider'' coming in, making reference to the similarity between the ''Blue Danube'' pantechnicon and a glider trailer.
Information sourced from – rafbarnham-nss.weebly.com/security.html
STERILE AREA –
RAF Barnham Nuclear Weapons Storage Facility was heavily secured and at the time was probably one of the most secure locations in the United Kingdom. The security element was the responsibility of the RAF Police (RAFP). Personnel from differing operating periods at RAF Barnham have stated that there were up to three varieties of RAF Police specialisations working at the site: 'Provost' 'Station' and 'Qualified Police Dog' (dog handlers).
As well as a standard outer fence and main gate picket post, the facility included an inner perimeter fence and within that an inner concrete wall with another picket post. The area between these two latter perimeters was classed as ''sterile'', with trip wires and flares in the gap between them and atop the wall, to alert the guard force to intruders. Pole-mounted lighting was positioned at regular intervals within the sterile area and halfway between the towers was a V-shaped bulge in the fence to allow patrolling guards the ability to look up and down the fence line from a small path that ran within the area. A telephone post was located at these bulges.
Two electric sliding gates at the outer and inner fence and a traditional style split middle wire gate acted as ''vehicle traps'' for any vehicle driving in or out. At the front sliding gate was a personnel turnstile controlled by the RAFP guardroom. At the rear sliding gate was personnel access to the inner picket where flammables and other contraband (matches, cigarettes, lighters etc) were surrendered before entering the ''Danger Area''.
RAFP Dog Handlers patrolled the site and the RAFP station staff manned the watch towers and pickets. The area between the outer and middle fence was patrolled by the Dog Handlers, with elements of the outer perimeter reportedly just spools of barbed wire.
Five Watch Towers, one at each point of the pentagonal fence, were located on the inside of the middle fencing when the site was decommissioned. These were accessible along the path within the sterile area near the fence line, some elements of which are still visible under the moss and foliage. A 6th vantage point was located on the maintenance building towards the centre of the compound. Each tower could see the others at the time of operational use (trees get in the way now) and were fitted with searchlights at a third of the way up and right at the top, possibly similar to those used on ships. It has been reported that the angle of the lights had to be limited as the Officer Commanding RAF Lakenheath had made complaints that his pilots were getting dazzled by RAF Barnham's watch towers.
The existing tall metal towers were believed to have been installed in late 1959/early 1960. Prior to this there were wooden ones, described as being pretty basic and about 15ft high, with a base around 6ft square with a large searchlight mounted in the centre which could be swung almost 360° in either direction. Access was reportedly by a wooden ladder and there was a single railing round about waist height. There was a field telephone at the top of the ladder and ''special'' binoculars were issued. The platforms were in roughly the same positions of the new towers but on the inside of the concrete path. It has been reported by another source that when the new towers were built, the fences had to be modified to accommodate them, via a U-shaped cut-out, visible on the site today.
A former RAFP Dog Handler stated that before being posted to Barnham, you and more importantly your dog had to gain at least 90% in exams/tests, meaning they had some of the best personnel and animals in the trade. In comparison, the RAFP Station staff stated that they received no special training as such for the role. They did get sent on a special security course, but that it was of little relevance or use to RAF Barnham. They simply classed it as another security related job. Some have stated that they spent a lot of time on the range, with many of the Police being marksmen. It has been reported that the RAFP were issued automatic 9mm pistols towards the end of the site's operational period, replacing the Smith and Wesson .38 that had been in common use.
The shift pattern recalled by most RAFP personnel spoken to consisted of 9 consecutive shifts comprising 3 evenings (1500-2300), 3 midnights (2300-0700) and 3 days (0700-1500) which would then be followed by 2 days off. Approximately 14 Station staff were on shift, comprising of one Sergeant shift controller, one Corporal deputy shift controller and 12 others, some made up of National Service personnel. Therefore, with an off duty shift, this meant a guard force of around 56, plus all of the ''X'' flight staff (the term used for those involved with the weapon convoys), which had around 14 personnel. It was usually an hour on and an hour off on the old wooden watch towers. The Dog Handler shift patterns were (1800-0000) and (0000-0600), with no day patrols, around 8 dogs were on site at a time.
This and other RAFP sources have said that the security personnel knew very little about the goings on inside, even with the vantage points of the towers. It is reported that all movements were specially screened to be hidden from view, with even the large bombs themselves sheeted. One RAFP officer had even reported as quipping to a convoy commander about ''another glider'' coming in, making reference to the similarity between the ''Blue Danube'' pantechnicon and a glider trailer.
Information sourced from – rafbarnham-nss.weebly.com/security.html
One of thirty four Electric Lightning's built for the Royal Saudi Air Force, 53-686 was first flown on 11th June 1968 and was in a static display at that years Farmborough air show, registered as G-AWON. Delivery to Saudi Arabia took place on 17th April 1969 where it entered service with 2 Squadron at Khamis Mushayt Air Base as 53-686. The Saudi Lightning's were returned to the UK in 1986, bought back by BAe as part of the Tornado F.3 deal and flown home to RAF Warton, with this airframe registered as ZF592. Eventually sold off for a nominal fee, and transported to the City of Norwich Aviation Museum the airframe was assembled for display, and although the main fuselage and nose section are from ZF592, the wings are from its sister aircraft 53-700 (ZF589).
The British English Electric Lightning Fighter Aircraft served as an Interceptor Aircraft during the 1960's and 1970's, then into the late 1980's. It remains the only British designed and built Fighter capable of Mach 2. The Lightning was designed, developed, and manufactured by English Electric, which was later merged into the newly formed British Aircraft Corporation. Later the type was marketed as the BAC Lightning. It was operated by the Royal Air Force, the Kuwait Air Force (KAF) and the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF).
A unique feature of the Lightning's design is the vertical, staggered configuration of its two Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet engines within the fuselage, the Lightning was designed and developed as an Interceptor to defend the V-Bomber Airfields from attack by anticipated future Nuclear-Armed Supersonic Soviet Bombers such as what emerged as the Tupolev Tu-22, but it was subsequently also required to intercept other Bomber Aircraft such as the Tupolev Tu-16 and the Tupolev Tu-95.
The Lightning has exceptional rate of climb, ceiling, and speed, Pilots have described flying it as "being saddled to a skyrocket". This performance and the initially limited fuel supply meant that its missions are dictated to a high degree by its limited range, later developments provided greater range and speed along with Aerial Reconnaissance and Ground-Attack capability. Overwing fuel tank fittings were installed in the F.6 variant and offered an extended range, but the maximum speed of the configuration was limited to a reported 1,000mph.
Following retirement by the RAF in the late 1980's, many of the remaining aircraft became museum exhibits. Until 2009, three Lightning's were kept flying at "Thunder City" in Cape Town, South Africa. In September 2008, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers conferred on the Lightning its "Engineering Heritage Award" at a ceremony at BAE Systems' site at Warton Aerodrome.
▪︎Role: Interceptor (primary) / General Purpose Fighter
▪︎National Origin: United Kingdom
▪︎Manufacturer: English Electric / British Aircraft Corporation
▪︎First Flight: 4th August 1954 (P.1A) / 4th April 1957
▪︎Introduction: 11th July 1960 (frontline service)
▪︎Retired: 1988 (RAF)
▪︎Primary Users: Royal Air Force / Kuwait Air Force / Royal Saudi Air Force
▪︎Powerplant: Rolls-Royce Avon 306c turbojet engines
▪︎Number Built: 337 (including prototypes)
Sourced from www.airport-data.com/aircraft/G-AWON.html
– KrAZ-255V (КрАЗ-255В) –
The KrAZ-255 is a Soviet three-axle off-road truck with six-wheel drive (6x6), intended for extreme operations. It was manufactured at the KrAZ plant beginning from 1967. The KrAZ-255 was developed directly from its predecessor, the KrAZ-214 (produced 1956-1967). Despite being very similar at first glance (both using the same cab, flatbed as well as the suspension) there are few major differences.
Firstly, the 255 used new and much more powerful engine - the YaMZ-238 (same used in MT-LB tracked APC) replacing the previously used and sensibly weaker YaAZ-206B which was used in the 214. The 255 also featured new and more reliable transmission, the YaMZ-236N, instead of the previously used YaAZ-204. It also featured new headlights (which were now, together with turn signals, located in their own housings mounted on the fenders) and, most notably, much wider tyres (1300x530x533 in dimensions) which offered lighter ground pressure and thus, even greater off-road capabilities when compared to its predecessor.
Along with Ural, ZiL, Kamaz, GAZ and MAZ, the KrAZ once represented one of six models of cargo/towing trucks (in its basic version, the KrAZ-255B) used by the Soviet Armed Forces, as well as by many civilian organizations in the former Soviet Union (mainly by various construction plants) where it was also used as a logging (the KrAZ-255L/L1) and dump truck (the KrAZ-256).
Since the KrAZ-255 was the heaviest (weighing 12 tons empty) and most powerful (using a 14,900ccm engine, producing 240 hp) of all Soviet three-axle 6x6 military cargo trucks, it was most often used for towing heavier artillery pieces (such as D-74, M-46 and 2A65 howitzers or T-12 anti-tank gun) and also for towing various aircraft from their hangars to runways, or vice versa (in tractor-unit version, the KrAZ-255V).
Furthermore, it was also used as a platform for control cabin and the antennas of PRV-9/1RL19 Naklon (NATO reporting name: ''Thin-Skin'') and PRV-16/1RL132 Nadyozhnost (NATO reporting name: ''Odd-Pair'') Soviet height-finding radars, as well as for various engineer duties in specially-designed versions (such as PMP collapsible ferryboat intended to be used as a pontoon bridge and TMM-3 mobile bridgelayer) which are still being used today by various military forces across the globe.
The KrAZ-255 ultimately evolved into a new model as its successor in 1979, the KrAZ-260, whose only difference was a new design of cab and the interiors. Despite that however, the KrAZ-260 did not replace it in production, but was actually produced alongside it up until 1994, when both were finally discontinued in favour to KrAZ-6322 (a modernized model of KrAZ-260).
▪︎Manufacturer – KrAZ, called Sungri 256 (North Korea) and Sungri 64 (North Korea)
▪︎Production – 1967–1994
▪︎Class – 6x6 Off Road Truck
▪︎Powertrain – 14.9L YaMZ-238 V8 diesel engine, 240 PS @ 2,100 rpm
▪︎Transmission – 5-speed YaMZ-236N manual gearbox
▪︎Wheelbase – 17 ft 5 in
▪︎Length – 28 ft 4.4 in
▪︎Width – 9 ft
▪︎Height – 9 ft 8 in
▪︎Curb weight – 26,350 lb
▪︎Predecessor – KrAZ-214
▪︎Successor – KrAZ-260
▪︎Top speed – 44 mph.
Information sourced from – en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/KrAZ-255
It was the first place MacArthur set foot upon his arrival in Japan in 1945. It was the main air station for the Imperial Japanese Air Force. The General then went on into Yokohama and checked into the New Grand Hotel, the first headquarters he had in Japan.
FISSILE CORE STORAGE –
The fissile cores were stored in small buildings arranged around the large non-nuclear component stores. In total there are 57 of these buildings, which are divided into 48 Type 'A' and 9 Type 'B' stores. The fissile core stores are organised in four uneven groups around the non-nuclear stores. The two southerly groups of stores are arranged symmetrically to the south of the large non-nuclear stores, each group having sixteen small store buildings. The north-eastern group contains eleven stores and the north-west group fourteen. All but the south-east group contained a mixture of Type 'A' and Type 'B' stores.
The store buildings are linked together by pedestrian width walkways, fenced by tubular steel pipes 37in tall with strands of white between the horizontal members. The area was lit by pre-cast concrete lamp-posts, each of which had a red panic button at chest height. The Type 'A' storage buildings 1-48 are small kiosk-like structures. In plan they measure 8ft 4in by 7ft 10in and stand 9ft above ground level. The foundations of the building are constructed of 3ft thick mass concrete. The walls are of cavity wall construction and are formed of solid concrete blocks, while the roof is a flat over-hanging reinforced concrete slab with a drip mould, and is covered with bituminous felt. The design drawing (Drg. No. 3563B/52) shows a variety of irregular roof plans designed to disguise the structures from the air. These were never built, all the roofs being rectangular in plan.
Fittings on the walls indicate that they were all originally protected by copper earthing straps. On the front of many of the stores a stencilled notice records ''Date of last lightning conductor test April - 63''. Internally the walls are finished in unpainted, smooth gritless plaster. The side and rear walls are ventilated by four small controllable ventilators, two at the base of the wall and two at the top. In the floor of each of the Type 'A' stores is a single keyhole shaped cavity. Each hole is 1ft 5in in diameter and 1ft 9in deep. The shaft of the hole measures 10in wide and is 8in long and is shallower than the main hole at 3½in. A scar around the hole suggests it originally contained a vessel with the asphalt brought up around its lip. This is confirmed by the survival of the surrounding lip in similar stores at RAF Faldingworth, Lincolnshire, and by the rare survival of a number of stainless steel vessels at the bomb store at RAF Gaydon, Warwickshire.
The electrical system of each store was contained within small bore metal pipes; circular junction boxes led to other electrical fittings, which have in most cases been removed. In a number of the stores 'Walsall' Type 1174X flameproof switch boxes remained. On their covers is cast ''5 Amp 250 Volt Flameproof switchbox type Walsall 1174BX Group 2 FLP 302 Group 3 Test P60 Isolate supply elsewhere before removing this cover''. A small formica sign confirmed that ''The electrical installation in this building is standard 'A' in accordance with AP 2608A''. All the stores originally had external fuse boxes to the left of their doors.
The doors are wooden and open outwards, their outer faces being protected by a steel sheet. They are secured by a combination lock and internal vertical locking bar operated by an external handle. A metal fitting in the path allowed the door to be secured half ajar. Above the door, and attached to its frame, is a spring-loaded electrical contact, which probably recorded on the control board in building 63 whether or not the door was open or closed. Externally and internally the doors are painted light blue. On the door of building No. 1 is a 1ft diameter radiation symbol in yellow and out-lined in black, below it is a 11½in yellow square with a black star at its centre.
The Type 'B' store buildings 49-57 are slightly larger than the Type 'A' measuring 9ft 7in by 7ft 10n. Otherwise the details of the stores are identical to the smaller stores. The principle difference between the two types of structures is that the Type 'B ' had two storage holes in their floors. Each of these buildings was also equipped with a small wooden counter adjacent to the doors; the counters measure 2ft 6in by 1ft 6in and standing 4ft tall. They have been removed from stores 53 and 55. At some point during the operational life of the station the holes in the floors of all the Type 'B' stores were filled and covered by gritless asphalt. The asphalt surfaces in the stores are continuous, often with a slight depression marking the position of the holes, which implies that the original floor was lifted and new floors laid. The holes in store 52 have been reopened, as indicated by fragments of the asphalt surface thrown back into the holes. This is in contrast to RAF Faldingworth where the holes have been left open.
In total there were enough holes to store 66 fissile cores. One source states that the single hole stores contained plutonium cores, while the double-hole stores were, used for cobalt cores. Currently available documentation does not reveal if one fissile core may be equated with one bomb, or if a bomb contained more than one fissile core. Recent research has shown that Britain probably produced no more than twenty Blue Danube warheads, with this number on the active stockpile between 1957 and 1961. It is therefore likely that no more than a handful of weapons were stored at RAF Barnham at anyone time.
The significance of the filling of the holes in the Type 'B' stores is also unclear. It may coincide with the withdrawal of the first generation nuclear weapon, ''Blue Danube'', and the deployment second generation atomic bomb, ''Red Beard'' (from 1961), or it may be related to the introduction of first British hydrogen bomb, ''Yellow Sun'' (from 1958). Given the number of available nuclear warheads in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, it is unlikely that the RAF Barnham store was ever full. Part of RAF Barnham's function, along with other bomb stores, was to convince the Soviet Union that Britain had more nuclear weapons at her disposal than was in fact the case.
Information sourced from English Heritage.
Structures around Regan Vest, the former 'Secret' danish bunker, supposed to house the Royal family and the Government in case of nuclear war or other crisis. It is located in a remote part of the largest forest in Denmark and the existence have been a great secret the last 40 years. The Bunker are no longer in use and are to become a museum, having just recently been declassified.
The McDonnell Douglas F-4F Phantom II was retired from Luftwaffe service during an airshow at Wittmund AFB in summer 2013. Depicted here is 37+22 in Norm 90J, the last standard paint scheme of the Luftwaffe Phantoms from the 90's. #PhantomPharewell #F-4Phantom
Categories:
McDonnell Douglas - F-4 Phantom - Cold War Aircraft - Luftwaffe - Bundeswehr - Wittmund 2013
Schnellboot S58 Pinguin P6158. 5. Schnellbootgeschwader Olpenitz.
GUIDED-MISSILE PATROL BOATS
Type 148 Tiger class fast attack craft
5th Fast attack craft squadron
scrapped 2003
Oct. 7, 1961. East German Willy Finder jumps into a net held by residents of West Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall." For more information, visit CIA's Historical Collections webpage (www.cia.gov/library/publications/historical-collection-pu...).
The Landsverk Unimog Scout Car was based on the Unimog truck built in Sweden in the 1950's. The Irish Army purchased fifteen in 1971 for use by their United Nations Forces but delivery was delayed because of fear that they may fall into the hands of the IRA.
The Republic of Ireland had them modified for the Irish Cavalry which included the fitting of a mounting on the roof for a 7.62mm machine gun. Whilst being excellent off-road their road performance was poor due to the high centre of gravity. This led to a number of accidents and a mandatory maximum speed limit of 30mph.
In addition to the crew of two (driver and gunner) it could carry a four man squad in the cramped rear compartment. By mid 1978 all of the vehicles had been transferred to Reserve Defence Forces and rearmed with either a 30 calibre Browning, or a .303 Bren machine gun. The vehicles were withdrawn from service 1984, the only two remaining examples being the Museum's and another in a transport museum in Dublin.
Specifications -
▪︎Manufactured: 1955
▪︎Crew: 6 (driver, gunner and 4 troops)
▪︎Armament: 1 x 7.62mm machine gun / 1 x grenade launcher No. 7
▪︎Range: 180 miles
▪︎Speed: 50mph (limited to 30mph)
▪︎Armour: 5mm to 10mm
▪︎Weight: 5 tons.
Information from The Muckleburgh Military Collection.
The Bloodhound Mk.I Surface-to-Air Missile was introduced into service with the Air Defence Missile Squadrons of the Royal Air Force in 1958 as part of Fighter Command's Home Defence weaponry and were usually deployed on fixed sites. Bristol-Siddeley Thor ram jets powered its flight after launch by the four Gosling rocket boost motors which were jettisoned once supersonic speed was achieved, the main propulsion unit burned kerosene.
The main fuselage is of a monocoque construction, designed and built by the Bristol Division of the British Aircraft Corporation, as was the main propulsion unit and booster rockets. The guidance system, developed and produced by Ferranti Limited, was centred around a ground based Type-86 (Firelight) radar which, after seeking out the target, computerised the targets flight path details and transmitted flight directions to the missile, delivering it to a point where a proximity fuse exploded the warhead - thus destroying the target. A Mk.II version entered service in 1964. Many other countries adopted the Bloodhound System as their main air defence armament. The example at the Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum came from RAF West Raynham, Norfolk in 1987.
Technical Information -
▪︎Year Built: 1959
▪︎Manufacturer: Bristol / Ferranti
▪︎Purpose: Air Defence
▪︎Propulsion: 2 x Thor ramjets
▪︎Speed: Over Mach 2
▪︎Range: Approximately 45 miles
▪︎Wing Span: 9 ft 3 in
▪︎Length: 25 ft.
Information from the Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum.
ORE 91-49, Estimate of the Effects of the Soviet Possibility of the Atomic Bomb Upon the Security of the U.S., 04/06/50
View the full size of this photo to see the golden Trabant on four legs. This sculpture ("Quo Vadis") commemorates the events here at the West German embassy in September 1989. 4,000 East Germans traveled here, abandoned their cars, and camped in the garden for a chance to get to the West. Eventually, Czechoslovakia opened its border to West Germany to get rid of the refugees. (We visited another Lobkowicz Palace in the castle district. This old and rich family -- they sponsored Beethoven for many years -- lost everything to the Nazis and then to the Communists, but is working on getting more of their properties back.) Details on all this at www.praguemonitor.com/2010/07/21/lobkowicz-against-sale-p...
United States Air Force Museum, Dayton (2005)
United States - East-Coast Tour 2005
Convair B-36J Peacemaker, 52-2220 United States Air Force (USAF)
Photo Selection
Convair Aircraft - B-36 Peacemaker
The United States Air Force Museum in Dayton Ohio is one
of the largest Aviation Musems of the World.
The collection was displayed in 3 museum buildings, an outside display in front of the entrance and a seperate building on the airbase.
Visiting the restoration area was on special appointment.
(I never made it sofar)
The photos are equally tagged to the display area's.
In front of the museum are the outside displays and the Experimental and Presidental aircraft are in the remote hangar.
The main museum is divided in various periodes of aviation.
1st building World-War I and World-War II
2nd building Korean War and South-East Asia
3rd building Coldwar Period and Recent Aircraft
In 2016 a fourth building opened containing most aircraft that were previously on display at the airbase.
This British 1950's Trainer version of the de Havilland Vampire Fighter was used to teach Student Pilots how to fly Jet Aircraft. The T. 11 was developed from the original Vampire Fighter, it entered service in 1952 and became the RAF's standard Advanced Trainer. Vampire T.11's were also issued to Fighter Squadrons as Communications Aircraft (for running errands between RAF Stations) and to check Pilot abilities.
The Vampire T.11 allowed Student Pilots to graduate from the Piston Engined Percival Provost T.1 Trainer to an Aircraft with the characteristics of a 'Jet Fighter' which included a Pressurised Cockpit, Ejector Seat and Armament of twin 20mm Cannons, plus Rockets and Bombs.
This de Havilland Vampire Aircraft WZ590 was delivered to RAF Leeming in 1953, it then went to No.5 Flying Training School (FTS) at RAF Oakington in 1959, and transferred to No.8 FTS at RAF Swinderby in 1962. It was donated to the Imperial War Museum Duxford by Hawker-Siddeley Aviation Limited in 1973.
The de Havilland Vampire is a British jet fighter which was developed and manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company, and was the second Jet Fighter to be operated by the RAF, after the Gloster Meteor, and the first to be powered by a single Jet Engine.
Development of the Vampire as an experimental Aircraft began in 1941 during World War Two, to exploit the revolutionary innovation of jet propulsion. From the company's design studies, it was decided to use a Single-Engine, Twin-Boom Aircraft, powered by the Halford H.1 Turbojet (later produced as the Goblin) Aside from its Propulsion System and Twin-Boom Configuration, it was a relatively conventional Aircraft. In May 1944 it was decided to produce the Aircraft as an Interceptor for the Royal Air Force, in 1946 the Vampire entered operational service with the RAF, only months after the War had ended.
The Vampire quickly proved to be effective and was adopted as a replacement of Wartime Piston-Engined Fighter Aircraft. During its early service it accomplished several aviation firsts and achieved various records, such as being the first Jet Aircraft to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The Vampire remained in front-line RAF service until 1953 when its transfer began to secondary roles such as Ground Attack and Pilot Training, for which specialist variants were produced. The RAF retired the Vampire in 1966 when its final role of Advanced Trainer was filled by the Folland Gnat. The Royal Navy had also adapted the type as the 'Sea Vampire', a navalised variant suitable for operations from Aircraft Carriers. It was the service's first Jet Fighter.
The Vampire was exported to many nations and was operated worldwide in numerous Theatres and Climates. Several countries used the type in Combat including the Suez Crisis, the Malayan Emergency and the Rhodesian Bush War. By the end of production, almost 3,300 Vampire's had been manufactured, a quarter of these having been manufactured under licence abroad. de Havilland pursued the further development of the type major derivatives produced include the DH.115, a specialised Dual-Seat Trainer and the more advanced DH.112 Venom, a refined variant for Ground Attack and Night-Fighter Operations.
▪︎Role: Fighter Aircraft / Advanced Trainer
▪︎National Origin: United Kingdom
▪︎Manufacturer: de Havilland / English Electric
▪︎First Flight: 20th September 1943
▪︎Introduction: 1946
▪︎Retired: 1979 Rhodesian Air Force
▪︎Status: Retired
▪︎Primary Users: Royal Air Force / Royal Navy
▪︎Number Built: 3,268
▪︎Developed Into: de Havilland Venom
▪︎Crew: One
▪︎Length: 30ft 9in
▪︎Wingspan: 38ft
▪︎Height: 8ft 10in
▪︎Empty Weight: 7,283lb
▪︎Maximum Weight: 12,390lb
▪︎Powerplant: 1 x de Havilland Goblin 3 Centrifugal-Flow Turbojet Engine, 3,350lbf thrust
▪︎Maximum Speed: 548mph
▪︎Range: 1,220 miles
▪︎Service Ceiling: 42,800ft
▪︎Weapons: 4 x 0.79in Hispano MK.V Cannon with 600 Rounds Total (150 rounds per gun)
▪︎Armament: 8 x 3in "60 lb" Rockets / 2 x 500lb Bombs or two Drop-Tanks.
I was in Berlin the summer after the wall fell and took this picture then. I was very proud of it and particularly like the Trabants on one side of the guard, the Mercedes on the other and what looks like a little celebration on the Trabant side. The picture was taken at what was then the "Monument to the Victims of Fascism and Militarism".
FISSILE CORE STORAGE –
The fissile cores were stored in small buildings arranged around the large non-nuclear component stores. In total there are 57 of these buildings, which are divided into 48 Type 'A' and 9 Type 'B' stores. The fissile core stores are organised in four uneven groups around the non-nuclear stores. The two southerly groups of stores are arranged symmetrically to the south of the large non-nuclear stores, each group having sixteen small store buildings. The north-eastern group contains eleven stores and the north-west group fourteen. All but the south-east group contained a mixture of Type 'A' and Type 'B' stores.
The store buildings are linked together by pedestrian width walkways, fenced by tubular steel pipes 37in tall with strands of white between the horizontal members. The area was lit by pre-cast concrete lamp-posts, each of which had a red panic button at chest height. The Type 'A' storage buildings 1-48 are small kiosk-like structures. In plan they measure 8ft 4in by 7ft 10in and stand 9ft above ground level. The foundations of the building are constructed of 3ft thick mass concrete. The walls are of cavity wall construction and are formed of solid concrete blocks, while the roof is a flat over-hanging reinforced concrete slab with a drip mould, and is covered with bituminous felt. The design drawing (Drg. No. 3563B/52) shows a variety of irregular roof plans designed to disguise the structures from the air. These were never built, all the roofs being rectangular in plan.
Fittings on the walls indicate that they were all originally protected by copper earthing straps. On the front of many of the stores a stencilled notice records ''Date of last lightning conductor test April - 63''. Internally the walls are finished in unpainted, smooth gritless plaster. The side and rear walls are ventilated by four small controllable ventilators, two at the base of the wall and two at the top. In the floor of each of the Type 'A' stores is a single keyhole shaped cavity. Each hole is 1ft 5in in diameter and 1ft 9in deep. The shaft of the hole measures 10in wide and is 8in long and is shallower than the main hole at 3½in. A scar around the hole suggests it originally contained a vessel with the asphalt brought up around its lip. This is confirmed by the survival of the surrounding lip in similar stores at RAF Faldingworth, Lincolnshire, and by the rare survival of a number of stainless steel vessels at the bomb store at RAF Gaydon, Warwickshire.
The electrical system of each store was contained within small bore metal pipes; circular junction boxes led to other electrical fittings, which have in most cases been removed. In a number of the stores 'Walsall' Type 1174X flameproof switch boxes remained. On their covers is cast ''5 Amp 250 Volt Flameproof switchbox type Walsall 1174BX Group 2 FLP 302 Group 3 Test P60 Isolate supply elsewhere before removing this cover''. A small formica sign confirmed that ''The electrical installation in this building is standard 'A' in accordance with AP 2608A''. All the stores originally had external fuse boxes to the left of their doors.
The doors are wooden and open outwards, their outer faces being protected by a steel sheet. They are secured by a combination lock and internal vertical locking bar operated by an external handle. A metal fitting in the path allowed the door to be secured half ajar. Above the door, and attached to its frame, is a spring-loaded electrical contact, which probably recorded on the control board in building 63 whether or not the door was open or closed. Externally and internally the doors are painted light blue. On the door of building No. 1 is a 1ft diameter radiation symbol in yellow and out-lined in black, below it is a 11½in yellow square with a black star at its centre.
The Type 'B' store buildings 49-57 are slightly larger than the Type 'A' measuring 9ft 7in by 7ft 10n. Otherwise the details of the stores are identical to the smaller stores. The principle difference between the two types of structures is that the Type 'B ' had two storage holes in their floors. Each of these buildings was also equipped with a small wooden counter adjacent to the doors; the counters measure 2ft 6in by 1ft 6in and standing 4ft tall. They have been removed from stores 53 and 55. At some point during the operational life of the station the holes in the floors of all the Type 'B' stores were filled and covered by gritless asphalt. The asphalt surfaces in the stores are continuous, often with a slight depression marking the position of the holes, which implies that the original floor was lifted and new floors laid. The holes in store 52 have been reopened, as indicated by fragments of the asphalt surface thrown back into the holes. This is in contrast to RAF Faldingworth where the holes have been left open.
In total there were enough holes to store 66 fissile cores. One source states that the single hole stores contained plutonium cores, while the double-hole stores were, used for cobalt cores. Currently available documentation does not reveal if one fissile core may be equated with one bomb, or if a bomb contained more than one fissile core. Recent research has shown that Britain probably produced no more than twenty Blue Danube warheads, with this number on the active stockpile between 1957 and 1961. It is therefore likely that no more than a handful of weapons were stored at RAF Barnham at anyone time.
The significance of the filling of the holes in the Type 'B' stores is also unclear. It may coincide with the withdrawal of the first generation nuclear weapon, ''Blue Danube'', and the deployment second generation atomic bomb, ''Red Beard'' (from 1961), or it may be related to the introduction of first British hydrogen bomb, ''Yellow Sun'' (from 1958). Given the number of available nuclear warheads in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, it is unlikely that the RAF Barnham store was ever full. Part of RAF Barnham's function, along with other bomb stores, was to convince the Soviet Union that Britain had more nuclear weapons at her disposal than was in fact the case.
Information sourced from English Heritage.
On October 4 2009 we attended SALT "Red Oktober", which was a grand day out for all enthusiasts of Cold-War era vehicles. We visited East Anglia, and finished as guests of the Triumph Car Day at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, where our Coldwar vehicles were outnumbered by hundreds of Stags, Heralds, Spitfires, TRs etc.
This shot shows some of the touring cars fronted by a Zil 131 Lorry and overshadowed by a Scud missile mounted on a MAZ mobile launcher.
FISSILE CORE STORAGE –
The fissile cores were stored in small buildings arranged around the large non-nuclear component stores. In total there are 57 of these buildings, which are divided into 48 Type 'A' and 9 Type 'B' stores. The fissile core stores are organised in four uneven groups around the non-nuclear stores. The two southerly groups of stores are arranged symmetrically to the south of the large non-nuclear stores, each group having sixteen small store buildings. The north-eastern group contains eleven stores and the north-west group fourteen. All but the south-east group contained a mixture of Type 'A' and Type 'B' stores.
The store buildings are linked together by pedestrian width walkways, fenced by tubular steel pipes 37in tall with strands of white between the horizontal members. The area was lit by pre-cast concrete lamp-posts, each of which had a red panic button at chest height. The Type 'A' storage buildings 1-48 are small kiosk-like structures. In plan they measure 8ft 4in by 7ft 10in and stand 9ft above ground level. The foundations of the building are constructed of 3ft thick mass concrete. The walls are of cavity wall construction and are formed of solid concrete blocks, while the roof is a flat over-hanging reinforced concrete slab with a drip mould, and is covered with bituminous felt. The design drawing (Drg. No. 3563B/52) shows a variety of irregular roof plans designed to disguise the structures from the air. These were never built, all the roofs being rectangular in plan.
Fittings on the walls indicate that they were all originally protected by copper earthing straps. On the front of many of the stores a stencilled notice records ''Date of last lightning conductor test April - 63''. Internally the walls are finished in unpainted, smooth gritless plaster. The side and rear walls are ventilated by four small controllable ventilators, two at the base of the wall and two at the top. In the floor of each of the Type 'A' stores is a single keyhole shaped cavity. Each hole is 1ft 5in in diameter and 1ft 9in deep. The shaft of the hole measures 10in wide and is 8in long and is shallower than the main hole at 3½in. A scar around the hole suggests it originally contained a vessel with the asphalt brought up around its lip. This is confirmed by the survival of the surrounding lip in similar stores at RAF Faldingworth, Lincolnshire, and by the rare survival of a number of stainless steel vessels at the bomb store at RAF Gaydon, Warwickshire.
The electrical system of each store was contained within small bore metal pipes; circular junction boxes led to other electrical fittings, which have in most cases been removed. In a number of the stores 'Walsall' Type 1174X flameproof switch boxes remained. On their covers is cast ''5 Amp 250 Volt Flameproof switchbox type Walsall 1174BX Group 2 FLP 302 Group 3 Test P60 Isolate supply elsewhere before removing this cover''. A small formica sign confirmed that ''The electrical installation in this building is standard 'A' in accordance with AP 2608A''. All the stores originally had external fuse boxes to the left of their doors.
The doors are wooden and open outwards, their outer faces being protected by a steel sheet. They are secured by a combination lock and internal vertical locking bar operated by an external handle. A metal fitting in the path allowed the door to be secured half ajar. Above the door, and attached to its frame, is a spring-loaded electrical contact, which probably recorded on the control board in building 63 whether or not the door was open or closed. Externally and internally the doors are painted light blue. On the door of building No. 1 is a 1ft diameter radiation symbol in yellow and out-lined in black, below it is a 11½in yellow square with a black star at its centre.
The Type 'B' store buildings 49-57 are slightly larger than the Type 'A' measuring 9ft 7in by 7ft 10n. Otherwise the details of the stores are identical to the smaller stores. The principle difference between the two types of structures is that the Type 'B ' had two storage holes in their floors. Each of these buildings was also equipped with a small wooden counter adjacent to the doors; the counters measure 2ft 6in by 1ft 6in and standing 4ft tall. They have been removed from stores 53 and 55. At some point during the operational life of the station the holes in the floors of all the Type 'B' stores were filled and covered by gritless asphalt. The asphalt surfaces in the stores are continuous, often with a slight depression marking the position of the holes, which implies that the original floor was lifted and new floors laid. The holes in store 52 have been reopened, as indicated by fragments of the asphalt surface thrown back into the holes. This is in contrast to RAF Faldingworth where the holes have been left open.
In total there were enough holes to store 66 fissile cores. One source states that the single hole stores contained plutonium cores, while the double-hole stores were, used for cobalt cores. Currently available documentation does not reveal if one fissile core may be equated with one bomb, or if a bomb contained more than one fissile core. Recent research has shown that Britain probably produced no more than twenty Blue Danube warheads, with this number on the active stockpile between 1957 and 1961. It is therefore likely that no more than a handful of weapons were stored at RAF Barnham at anyone time.
The significance of the filling of the holes in the Type 'B' stores is also unclear. It may coincide with the withdrawal of the first generation nuclear weapon, ''Blue Danube'', and the deployment second generation atomic bomb, ''Red Beard'' (from 1961), or it may be related to the introduction of first British hydrogen bomb, ''Yellow Sun'' (from 1958). Given the number of available nuclear warheads in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, it is unlikely that the RAF Barnham store was ever full. Part of RAF Barnham's function, along with other bomb stores, was to convince the Soviet Union that Britain had more nuclear weapons at her disposal than was in fact the case.
Information sourced from English Heritage.
The McDonnell Douglas Phantom was designed to meet the United States Navy's requirement for a Fighter to Defend the Fleet, it had twin engines to give high supersonic speed, large internal fuel tanks for long range, and powerful Radar, plus radar-Guided Missiles.
During the Vietnam War the Phantom was used by the USA to provide Fighter cover for Tactical Bombing. It was also used in the Photo Reconnaissance, Electronic Countermeasures and Ground Attack roles.
Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force were equipped from 1968 with a special version of the McDonnell Douglas Phantom, it was adapted to use Rolls-Royce Engines and some British built Radar and Electronic Equipment.
McDonnell Douglas Phantom XV474 was with the RAF in 1969, it served with various Squadrons in Germany, it was also based at Port Stanley on the Falkland Islands after their recapture from Argentina, it was retired from the RAF in 1992 and came to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford in 1993.
The United Kingdom operated the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II as one of its principal Combat Aircraft from 1968 to 1992. The UK was the first export customer for the Phantom, which was ordered in the context of political and economic difficulties around British designs for the roles that it eventually undertook. The Phantom was procured to serve in both the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Air Force in several roles including Air Defence, Close Air Support, Low-Level Strike and Tactical Reconnaissance.
Although assembled in the United States, the UK's early Phantom's were a special batch built separately with a significant amount of British technology as a means of easing the pressure on the domestic aerospace industry in the wake of major project cancellations. Two variants were initially built for the UK, the F-4K variant was designed from the outset as an Air Defence Interceptor to be operated by the FAA from the Royal Navy's Aircraft Carriers, and the F-4M version was procured for the RAF to serve in the Tactical Strike and Reconnaissance roles. In the mid-1980's, a third Phantom variant was obtained when 15 second-hand F-4J Aircraft were purchased to augment the UK's Air Defences following the Falklands War.
The Phantom entered service with both the FAA and the RAF in 1969. In FAA service, it had a secondary Strike role, while in the RAF it was soon replaced in the Strike role by other Aircraft designed specifically for Strike and Close Air Support. By the mid-1970's, the Phantom had become the UK's principal Interceptor, a role in which it continued until the early 1990's.
Royal Navy F-4K Phantom FG.1
In 1964, the Phantom was ordered for the Fleet Air Arm to serve as the Royal Navy's Primary Fleet Air Defence Aircraft, with a secondary strike capability. It was intended that these Aircraft would operate from the decks of four Aircraft Carriers, H.M.S 'Eagle' and H.M.S 'Ark Royal' which would be rebuilt to enable the operation of the Aircraft, and two planned new ships.
▪︎Role: Fleet Air Defence Fighter / Air Defence Interceptor
▪︎National Origin: United States
▪︎Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas
▪︎First Flight: 27th June 1966
▪︎Introduction: 30th April 1968 (FAA) / 1st September 1969 (RAF)
▪︎Retired: 27th November 1978 (FAA) / 30th January 1990 (RAF)
▪︎Status: Withdrawn
▪︎Primary User: Royal Air Force / Fleet Air Arm
▪︎Produced: 1966 to 1969
▪︎Number Built: 52 (including 2 prototypes).
Royal Air Force F-4M Phantom FGR.2
Following the cancellation of both the TSR-2 and P.1154 programmes, the RAF was still left with a requirement for Aircraft in theLlong-Range Strike, Close Air Support and Reconnaissance roles. This resulted in orders for two Aircraft types, the General Dynamics F-111K, intended for the Long-Range Interdiction role, and the F-4M Phantom, which would be used for Close Air Support, both Aircraft were to be fitted for Reconnaissance. The F-111K was cancelled within a year of being ordered, but the order for 150 Phantom's went ahead alongside the Phantom order for the Royal Navy the final 32 Units of the RAF order were eventually cancelled. The RAF Phantom, given the designation FGR.2, was broadly similar to the Naval version, with some minor variations in terms of Engines, Avionics and Structure, relating to its use as a Land-Based, rather than Carrier-Based Aircraft. Initially delivered to Air Defence Units in green-grey camouflage, the RAF later adopted a pale grey colour scheme for its Phantom's.
▪︎Role: Air Defence Interceptor / Low-Level Strike / Close Air Support
▪︎National Origin: United States
▪︎Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas
▪︎First Flight: 17th February 1967
▪︎Introduction: 23rd August 1968
▪︎Retired: 1st November 1992
▪︎Status: Withdrawn
▪︎Primary User: Royal Air Force
▪︎Produced: 1966 to 1969
▪︎Number Built: 118 (including 2 prototypes).
This is one of my favourite Logo Designs, due to it's effective silhouette. I used a basic rough outline of a soldier throwing a grenade, but instead I manipulated the grenade into a flower, to change the atmosphere of the topic. With the typography, I used something simple, bold and effective.
Main use as a bomber Nato code name "Brewer", the Yak-28P served in the Soviet airforce well until the early 90's.
– THE BLUE DANUBE ATOMIC BOMB –
The ''Blue Danube'' was a very large weapon, 24ft in length and weighing 10,000 lb. For storage it was broken down into three main sections, the nose, the central section containing a 5ft diameter sphere of explosives, weighing nearly 2½ tons, and the tail section. For safety reasons the Plutonium Fissile Cores were kept separately. The sites pentagonal structure consists of three giant stores for storing the bomb and four plantations of small sheds in which Fissile Cores were stored.
One of the giant stores was destroyed by a fire. To assemble the bomb the core would be picked up on a hand trolley and taken to a central assembly building to be matched with its body. Whenever a fission trigger was moved, a klaxon would sound, and everyone on the site would have to freeze motionless. The storage of Nuclear Weapons probably ceased at RAF Barnham in spring 1963. In 1965 the site was offered for Public sale. (taken from site information board).
The first Blue Danube was delivered to RAF Wittering in November 1953 although there were no aircraft equipped to carry it until the following year. No. 1321 Flight RAF was established at RAF Wittering in April 1954 as a Vickers Valiant unit to introduce the Blue Danube nuclear weapon into RAF service. Declassified archives show that 58 were produced, before production shifted in 1958 to the smaller and more capable ''Red Beard'' weapon, which could accept the Blue Danube core and be carried by smaller aircraft than the V-bomber fleet. Blue Danube was retired from service in 1962.
Blue Danube was the first operational British nuclear weapon, the RAF V-bomber Force was meant to use Blue Danube at a time when the first hydrogen bomb had not yet been detonated, and the British military planners still believed that an atomic war could be fought and won using atomic bombs of a similar yield to the Hiroshima bomb dropped by the U.S. to end the Second World War. For that reason the stockpile originally planned was for up to 800 bombs with yields of approximately 10-12 kilotons.
V-bomber bomb bays were sized to carry Blue Danube, the smallest-size nuclear bomb that was possible to be designed given the technology of the day (1947) when their plans were formulated. Initial designs for the Blue Danube warhead were based on research derived from ''Hurricane'', the first British fission device (which was not designed nor employed as a weapon) tested in 1952. The actual Blue Danube warhead was proof-tested at the Marcoo (surface) and Kite (air-drop) nuclear trials sites in Maralinga, Australia, by a team of Australian, British and Canadian scientists in late 1956.
Blue Danube added a ballistically shaped casing to the existing Hurricane physics package, with four flip-fins to ensure a stable ballistic trajectory from the planned release height of 50,000ft. The flip fins were needed to allow it to fit in the carrying aircraft's bomb bay. It initially used a plutonium core, but all service versions were modified to use a composite plutonium/ U-235 core. A version was also tested with a uranium-only core. The service chiefs insisted on a yield of between 10-12 kT for 2 reasons. Firstly to minimise usage of scarce and expensive fissile material; and secondly to minimise the risk of predetonation, a phenomenon then little understood and the primary reason for using a composite core of concentric shells of plutonium and U-235.
Major deficiencies with Blue Danube included the use of unreliable lead-acid accumulators to supply power to the firing circuits and radar altimeters. Later weapons used the more reliable ram-air turbine-generators or thermal batteries. Blue Danube was not engineered as a weapon equipped to withstand the rigours of service life. It was really a scientific experiment on a gigantic scale, which needed to be re-engineered to meet service requirements. That re-engineered weapon became Red Beard. A similar account could be written of the first U.S. atomic bomb, ''Fat Man'', which was quickly re-engineered after World War II.
Information sourced from – rafbarnham-nss.weebly.com/blue-danube.html
STERILE AREA –
RAF Barnham Nuclear Weapons Storage Facility was heavily secured and at the time was probably one of the most secure locations in the United Kingdom. The security element was the responsibility of the RAF Police (RAFP). Personnel from differing operating periods at RAF Barnham have stated that there were up to three varieties of RAF Police specialisations working at the site: 'Provost' 'Station' and 'Qualified Police Dog' (dog handlers).
As well as a standard outer fence and main gate picket post, the facility included an inner perimeter fence and within that an inner concrete wall with another picket post. The area between these two latter perimeters was classed as ''sterile'', with trip wires and flares in the gap between them and atop the wall, to alert the guard force to intruders. Pole-mounted lighting was positioned at regular intervals within the sterile area and halfway between the towers was a V-shaped bulge in the fence to allow patrolling guards the ability to look up and down the fence line from a small path that ran within the area. A telephone post was located at these bulges.
Two electric sliding gates at the outer and inner fence and a traditional style split middle wire gate acted as ''vehicle traps'' for any vehicle driving in or out. At the front sliding gate was a personnel turnstile controlled by the RAFP guardroom. At the rear sliding gate was personnel access to the inner picket where flammables and other contraband (matches, cigarettes, lighters etc) were surrendered before entering the ''Danger Area''.
RAFP Dog Handlers patrolled the site and the RAFP station staff manned the watch towers and pickets. The area between the outer and middle fence was patrolled by the Dog Handlers, with elements of the outer perimeter reportedly just spools of barbed wire.
Five Watch Towers, one at each point of the pentagonal fence, were located on the inside of the middle fencing when the site was decommissioned. These were accessible along the path within the sterile area near the fence line, some elements of which are still visible under the moss and foliage. A 6th vantage point was located on the maintenance building towards the centre of the compound. Each tower could see the others at the time of operational use (trees get in the way now) and were fitted with searchlights at a third of the way up and right at the top, possibly similar to those used on ships. It has been reported that the angle of the lights had to be limited as the Officer Commanding RAF Lakenheath had made complaints that his pilots were getting dazzled by RAF Barnham's watch towers.
The existing tall metal towers were believed to have been installed in late 1959/early 1960. Prior to this there were wooden ones, described as being pretty basic and about 15ft high, with a base around 6ft square with a large searchlight mounted in the centre which could be swung almost 360° in either direction. Access was reportedly by a wooden ladder and there was a single railing round about waist height. There was a field telephone at the top of the ladder and ''special'' binoculars were issued. The platforms were in roughly the same positions of the new towers but on the inside of the concrete path. It has been reported by another source that when the new towers were built, the fences had to be modified to accommodate them, via a U-shaped cut-out, visible on the site today.
A former RAFP Dog Handler stated that before being posted to Barnham, you and more importantly your dog had to gain at least 90% in exams/tests, meaning they had some of the best personnel and animals in the trade. In comparison, the RAFP Station staff stated that they received no special training as such for the role. They did get sent on a special security course, but that it was of little relevance or use to RAF Barnham. They simply classed it as another security related job. Some have stated that they spent a lot of time on the range, with many of the Police being marksmen. It has been reported that the RAFP were issued automatic 9mm pistols towards the end of the site's operational period, replacing the Smith and Wesson .38 that had been in common use.
The shift pattern recalled by most RAFP personnel spoken to consisted of 9 consecutive shifts comprising 3 evenings (1500-2300), 3 midnights (2300-0700) and 3 days (0700-1500) which would then be followed by 2 days off. Approximately 14 Station staff were on shift, comprising of one Sergeant shift controller, one Corporal deputy shift controller and 12 others, some made up of National Service personnel. Therefore, with an off duty shift, this meant a guard force of around 56, plus all of the ''X'' flight staff (the term used for those involved with the weapon convoys), which had around 14 personnel. It was usually an hour on and an hour off on the old wooden watch towers. The Dog Handler shift patterns were (1800-0000) and (0000-0600), with no day patrols, around 8 dogs were on site at a time.
This and other RAFP sources have said that the security personnel knew very little about the goings on inside, even with the vantage points of the towers. It is reported that all movements were specially screened to be hidden from view, with even the large bombs themselves sheeted. One RAFP officer had even reported as quipping to a convoy commander about ''another glider'' coming in, making reference to the similarity between the ''Blue Danube'' pantechnicon and a glider trailer.
Information sourced from – rafbarnham-nss.weebly.com/security.html
C-160 Transall celebrating 10 years since the introduction of the type into the active inventory of the German Air Force at Laage AFB near Rostock. Breaking hard after landing and lifting the rear main gear wheels off the tarmac.
Categories:
Transall - Luftwaffe - Bundeswehr - Cold War Aircraft - Laage 2014
On October 4 2009 we attended SALT "Red Oktober", which was a grand day out for all enthusiasts of Cold-War era vehicles. We visited East Anglia, and finished as guests of the Triumph Car Day at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, where our Coldwar vehicles were outnumbered by hundreds of Stags, Heralds, Spitfires, TRs etc.
Mighty Red Army ZIL 131 and missile trailer on display at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford.
On October 4 2009 we attended SALT "Red Oktober", which was a grand day out for all enthusiasts of Cold-War era vehicles. We visited East Anglia, and finished as guests of the Triumph Car Day at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, where our Coldwar vehicles were outnumbered by hundreds of Stags, Heralds, Spitfires, TRs etc.
Here we see an East German Flag fluttering in front of a Scud Missile
30ft ENCLOSED WATCH TOWER –
RAF Barnham Nuclear Weapons Storage Facility was heavily secured and at the time was probably one of the most secure locations in the United Kingdom. The security element was the responsibility of the RAF Police (RAFP). Personnel from differing operating periods at RAF Barnham have stated that there were up to three varieties of RAF Police specialisations working at the site: 'Provost' 'Station' and 'Qualified Police Dog' (dog handlers).
Five Watch Towers, one at each point of the pentagonal fence, were located on the inside of the middle fencing when the site was decommissioned. These were accessible along the path within the sterile area near the fence line, some elements of which are still visible under the moss and foliage. A 6th vantage point was located on the maintenance building towards the centre of the compound. Each tower could see the others at the time of operational use (trees get in the way now) and were fitted with searchlights at a third of the way up and right at the top, possibly similar to those used on ships. It has been reported that the angle of the lights had to be limited as the Officer Commanding RAF Lakenheath had made complaints that his pilots were getting dazzled by RAF Barnham's watch towers.
The existing tall metal towers were believed to have been installed in late 1959/early 1960. Prior to this there were wooden ones, described as being pretty basic and about 15ft high, with a base around 6ft square with a large searchlight mounted in the centre which could be swung almost 360° in either direction. Access was reportedly by a wooden ladder and there was a single railing round about waist height. There was a field telephone at the top of the ladder and ''special'' binoculars were issued. The platforms were in roughly the same positions of the new towers but on the inside of the concrete path. It has been reported by another source that when the new towers were built, the fences had to be modified to accommodate them, via a U-shaped cut-out, visible on the site today.
As well as a standard outer fence and main gate picket post, the facility included an inner perimeter fence and within that an inner concrete wall with another picket post. The area between these two latter perimeters was classed as ''sterile'', with trip wires and flares in the gap between them and atop the wall, to alert the guard force to intruders. Pole-mounted lighting was positioned at regular intervals within the sterile area and halfway between the towers was a V-shaped bulge in the fence to allow patrolling guards the ability to look up and down the fence line from a small path that ran within the area. A telephone post was located at these bulges.
Two electric sliding gates at the outer and inner fence and a traditional style split middle wire gate acted as ''vehicle traps'' for any vehicle driving in or out. At the front sliding gate was a personnel turnstile controlled by the RAFP guardroom. At the rear sliding gate was personnel access to the inner picket where flammables and other contraband (matches, cigarettes, lighters etc) were surrendered before entering the ''Danger Area''.
RAFP Dog Handlers patrolled the site and the RAFP station staff manned the watch towers and pickets. The area between the outer and middle fence was patrolled by the Dog Handlers, with elements of the outer perimeter reportedly just spools of barbed wire.
Information sourced from – rafbarnham-nss.weebly.com/security.html