Runway caravan survivors.

For reference, here are a few of my late father’s photos from when he was in Air Traffic Control at Cranwell circa 1950.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]260954[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]260955[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]260956[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]260957[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]260953[/ATTACH]

I see one at Kenley airfield at the weekend that was next to the Raf gliding school, sorry didnt get a photo.

Indeed nice to see a less glamorous role displayed to the public.

That’s very impressive!
My hat’s off to you and the crew at Debach.

This is the example at the 493rd BG Museum, Debach, seen with my “Follow Me” Jeep at one of the open days in 2010.

I don’t have a complete picture of this one, but there was one at the 95th BG Museum back in 2007. It may be still there, I haven’t been there since.

This truck is from Tibenham airshow in 2012.

Not an original flying control vehicle, but my 1944 Dodge WC51 has been modified into a Flying Control truck to help tell this small part of the air war story at military shows. It is fitted out with a BC-375 transmitter, BC-348 receivers, M8 Pyro pistol etc, and uses an Avro Anson astrodome for the observation blister.

I’m still looking for an original louvred valve cover for the BC-375.

Clocks, weather instruments, M8 Pyro pistol and flares.

I built a B-17 style pilot’s seat for the observer position, which also doubles as my daughter’s child seat when mounted on the floor.

Wonder if any of the V-Force QRA Dispersel Crew caravans survive?
And who manafactured them?

We have one at Metheringham, took us several years to restore, now looking quite nice, housing the ‘story of XS186’

That is a beauty – love it.

Rob

This one was on display at the Duxford show recently with the summary of its history.

Andy

Oh, it’s been a long week and clearly I need to replace my spectacles, but it was not until I opened this thread that I realised that it’s title wasn’t ‘runaway caravan survivors’ (and there was me wondering what connection to historic aviation were tales of the hitches breaking, Sprite Alpines going it alone but still surviving to serve on next years touring van holiday!).

Spent many an hour in RWC’s. Both Bantam and the TK variants. Iveko version still in use today.

I have some photos but for some reason cannot upload any photos.

Had same problem but successful when both image and file size reduced. Success with image width of 1000 pixels and file size was just below 500KB. Think it is all explained “somewhere” in the stickies.

I have some photos but for some reason cannot upload any photos.

There is one still in use with the Irish Parachute Club at Clonbullogue, County Offaly.

As Gary the Armwaver has pointed out, the caravan now at Popham is of wartime vintage and was acquired by the Vintage Aircraft Club from RAF Halton in 1985. It was used at Finmere for VAC fly-ins till the demise of the events at the airfield at the end of the 1990s, when it was donated to Popham.

Below is the report from the VAC magazine of the time, of its renovation in 1993.

The VAC is delighted that it will be reunited with the caravan this summer, when we celebrate our 50th Birthday Party and Fly In at Popham. July 26-27 is the date for your diaries!!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]225055[/ATTACH]

Popham’s example was donated by the Vintage Aircraft Club and was used for years at Finmere when the Club operated from there… There was an article years ago about it and I think her origins pre-VAC were listed but the mag is in store at the moment….

There was one in the 1990s at Osterley cricket club used as a score box

Regards

This takes me back to the late 60’s at Valley would have driven on this very taxi way many times. I don’t remember so many buildings in the back ground must have appeared since my time there.

I remember the Carrier Bantam runway control caravan with the big greenhouse on the back at Valley. Don’t know if they still use runway caravans these days.

Yes they do at Valley June 2013. I believe it is based on an Iveco truck. Can somebody please confirm what these are called and a date?

there are at least two karriers in Malta one at the museum at Taqali and one in storage