Can Anyone Id The Background In This WW2 Photo?

whooo thanks very much Baz much appreciated especially all the detective work you’ve put in :):):)

Sorry to take so long to return to this thread,but I finally got to look at a copy of ‘The Secret Years’ by Tim Mason,and I am now 100% happy that the original photo was taken at Boscombe Down.
On P 157 there is a head on of a Bristol Buckingham 1 taken in june 44,parked in one of the semi circular parking bays as seen in original pic.
Since then the apron area has been extended out to the south.

rgds baz

OK James…had a Quick look this morning (fffffairly cold :D),just in my corner – all the door tracks and rails are still present,the top rails are just under the ‘roof’ of the support structure.
The brickwork that was removed was from on top of the roof,as I said previously my sketch was merely to show the different ‘shape’ of the door supports as compared to the original photo.

regards baz

If your drawing is right Baz, they wont be able to use the outer leaves!

They have only removed bricks from the very top,tis only a sketch to show that the outline of the top of the door support structure is different ,not necessarily accurate or to scale,will check next week.
edit …looking at the original photo…you could be right,will have a shufti on monday James.

rgds baz

If your drawing is right Baz, they wont be able to use the outer leaves!

Sorry didnt explain well enough,I think the outer door tracks etc are still extant,it is just lack of use that has made them unuseable,I will have a look next week.

rgds baz

Just as I thought, to fully open doors have to slide within the height and thickness of those end piers, your diagram suggests that is now impossible.
I would guess that when the money was spent on the new roof that is when they did away with the extra buden of maintaining full opening doors – happens alot!
The strangest example I have seen of this policy is at Hullavington, one C hangar has modified doors for vehicle use, but because the building are listed the old doors are kept and permanantly sealed in place – in the fully open position!

Do the main doors still slide out wider than the span of the building/
Originally they slid between and within the thickness of these stanchions – if you know what I mean!

Sorry James
Forgot to answer this bit :rolleyes:
At our end of the Hangar we dont need to open the outer door sections,I dont think they have been moved since I have worked there,I dont know about over on the ‘dark side’ 😀 where they park the ‘picasso’ designed a/c 😀 but I dont think they do either.
No reason why they couldnt be made moveable but probably a bit siezed up by now LOL.

rgds baz

James, check out post #12 here,
http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?p=34141#post34141
Should be just the info you need

Many thanks, much of it confirmed here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RP-3#Air_to_Ground_Use

Cheers,

Can anyone clarify what kind of rockets? Are they ‘test’ warheads or anti-U-boat types, as has been speculated, or something else entirely?

James, check out post #12 here,
http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?p=34141#post34141
Should be just the info you need

From all the pics I’ve seen of GS’s, I would say it was cut down to facilitate the new roof.

Yes it could well have been James,the only reason I suspected otherwise is that where the brickwork has been removed – the cladding has not been replaced,so not too sure either way.

rgds baz

From all the pics I’ve seen of GS’s, I would say it was cut down to facilitate the new roof.
Do the main doors still slide out wider than the span of the building/
Originally they slid between and within the thickness of these stanchions – if you know what I mean!

I have done this little sketch to illustrate why I initially though that the Boscombe Hangar was slightly different to the OP photo Hangars.
The inner top section of the Door Support brickwork has been cut away as indicated by the dotted line,the current roof attaches very differently to the original but I do not know if the support structure was cut away during roof conversion or subsequent replacement/repair (I suspect the latter).
Hope that makes sense 😀

(Belfast Truss is just one type of roof truss used)

Oh good grief. I am such a dummy, I know so little. Better start googling belfast truss roofs and learn all about them.:confused:

BD seems to be the prevailing answer nobody is saying that it isn’t. BD seems to be the favorite on the other forum aswell

I must say a big thank you to everyone that has helped figure this out :D:D:D:):):)

Baz – if you can pull this one off, your next mission (should you choose to accept it) will be to delve into the movement logs at BD and find out the serial of this aircraft – thus pinning this photo down 110% :diablo:

Ha my next task is a much more mundane serial number check 😀
I havent said that the shot is at BD – just saying it appears to be the same hangar type,and it is a possibility.

rgds baz

Baz – if you can pull this one off, your next mission (should you choose to accept it) will be to delve into the movement logs at BD and find out the serial of this aircraft – thus pinning this photo down 110% :diablo:

I posted this public domain shot in a previous Hangar thread – the brick door supports of ‘my’ Hangar at Boscombe are just above the Phantom fin in pic 3.
You can quite clearly see the brick supports and also the twin pitch roof that has replaced the original wooden curved affair.
The main a/c apron/ramp is this side of the hangars and you can clearly see the slope up to the apron.

http://www.airshowaction.com/bdown92/page1.html

rgds baz

I had another look at our Hangar Door supports this morning,and I can confirm that they have been altered ,presumably during roof conversion or repair,I can see where the inner half of the support wall/web has been cut away,most of the support brickwork has been faced/clad but I can see the brickwork where it has been cut away,I will do a sketch when I get home tonight…it is difficult to explain 😀
The upshot of that is the Hangar type in the OP is exactly the same as my Hangar,which puts B Down as a candidate.

rgds baz

Quote from Tim Mason’s book which may help a little:
“On return in late 1942, W8269/G had the first rocket projectile Type B with the blast plate flush with the rails. In six months of trials , many modifications were made to achieve an acceptable system. Handling up to 390 mph was unaffected by the rockets”.
Bill