William

At the risk of being flippant, which isn't always appreciated on this list,
I'd have loved to watch a plane landing on [7] - the doughnut shaped US
airfield of the 1920s.  Did they land clockwise or anti-clockwise?

Or maybe I've not got the right image in my mind.

One more sensible question - at what point did some form of made surface
become mandatory in military airfields?  Were grassy strips seen as adequate
right through WW1 or were they routinely surfaced then.  Just thinking of
cities like Sydney back then, there were relatively few metalled, asphalted
roads outside the centre until the between the wars periods and laying large
continuous surfaces of any material was still a tricky proposition.  Did
airfields lead the way or did they rely on road building technology?

Denis

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Denis Gojak
Banksia Heritage + Archaeology
PO Box 457
Newtown NSW 2042
Australia

W    02 9558 0220
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E    [log in to unmask]

----- Original Message -----
From: "william mcAlexander" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, February 06, 2005 2:44 PM
Subject: WW I airfields


Greetings fellow HISTARCHers.

    Back in 2003 I inquired if anyone out there knew about WW I airfield
excavations for a paper that I would present at the 2004 SHA conference
concerning early airfield design.  As is typical from this list, I got good
advice.  Carl Berna asked that I keep the list informed about what I know.
Here goes.

    I know nothing.  Of that I'm sure.  However, I am convinced that
surviving photographs exist that demonstrate the following:

1) Early airfields were layed out in simple geometric designs.

2) Prior to 1913 all nations used some sort of a linear design.  With so few
aircraft in any one area, a few buildings beside one another with open
ground where the machines could land (less than 1000 ft. long) in front of
them was all that was needed.

3) After 1914 the British built on and expanded the linear design.
Photographs from Egypt, Palistine, England, Afganistan, Canada etc. all show
this.

4) After entering the War, the United States adopted the British design.

5) The French developed a rectangular or open "L" design where two sides of
the landing field were outlined by structures.

6) The Germans experimented with a wider assortment of designs before
settleing on a circular or enclosed design.  The structures surrounded the
landing field.

7) In the 1920s, the U.S. started constructing circular design airfields
with the structures in the center and the landing field around them, like a
doughnut.  A reversal, if you will, of the German concept.

    I believe that WW I pilots viewed the German design as more efficient,
as aviation became a permanent fixture of the modern military.

    I am still conducting background checks, but plan to start writing a
paper, before the summer, for publication outlining in more detail my
conclusions.  As a consequence, I'm giving advanced warning that I will be
posting to the list for additional help as questions come to mind. In
closing, I apologize for my spelling, the spell check apparently does not
want to work today.

I would like to thank everyone on the list for thier assistance and
patience,

William E. McAlexander Jr.