I've forgotten who started this thread, but see below...

If anyone isinterested in giving a presentation on this topic, I am helping
to organize the May, 2006, annual meeting of the US Branch of the Western
Front Association here in Denver.  Anyone who would like to speak on this
subject should contact me soon.

BTW -- -

OTF = "Over the Front,"  the quarterly journal of the League of WW I
Aviation Historians.  An excellent resource for students WW I in the air.

Carl Barna
Lakewood, CO
< [log in to unmask] >
----- Forwarde

>
> Thanks for copying me on this research report of Alexander's.  I don't
have
> his email and he doesn't seem to be included here, so if you wouldn't
mind
> passing something along, I'd appreciate it.  Two things actually.  First,
I
> know I've seen an aerial photo of a WWI German airfield with concrete
> runways.  It was laid out in the shape of an asterisk so the planes could
> take off and land using whichever runway was appropriate given the wind
> direction.  The concrete runways were built to accommodate the heavy
German
> giant bombers.  I believe the photo might be in OTF Volume 6, Number 1,
the
> issue H. Hugh Wynne produced mapping WWI aerodromes, but I'll look when
I'm
> home later tonight and let you know for sure where it can be found.  The
> other thing is that I'd like to ask if Alexander might be willing to work
> his paper into an article for OTF?  I've always liked to use articles
that
> consider WWI aviation from fresh angles and, though Hugh drew incredible
> maps, they were offered simply to show where the fields were located and,
in
> a few cases where Hugh had a good bit of detail available, what the field
> itself looked like.  He did not offer comments from the prospective that
> Alexander is pursuing and, as far as I know, nobody else has done so
either,
> at least not in anything I can remember reading.  I'm not up again as
issue
> editor for a little while (actually, I'm not sure when), but since the
> research doesn't seem to be finished yet, that's probably not a problem.
> Anyway, if he's willing to do the article, I'd like to have it to
publish.
>
> Jim
>
>
>
> > It would be interesting to look at the two main airfields from that era
> > Point Cook and Richmond which slightly pre date the formation of the
RAAF
> > in
> > 1919.
> >
> > From a quick look at photos it seems that the hard surfaces were as one
> > might expect around the hangers and other service facilities. Runways
and
> > taxiways were rolled grass. The bases constructed in the late 1930's
such
> a
> > Amberley, Canberra and Wagga Wagga all seemed to have grass strips.
> >
> > In Australia this seems to have persisted until WWII. I seem to recall
> > seeing newsreels of WWII fighters both German and British taking off on
> > grass fields.
> >
> > Certainly emergency airfields like Hoxton Park on the outskirts of
Sydney
> > (1942) were constructed from crushed gravel which formed the runway and
> > taxiway. Having had the opportunity to dig this one I can report that
> > crushed gravel was all there was.
> >
> > Hope this helps
> >
> > Iain Stuart
> >
> > [log in to unmask]
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Denis Gojak" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Monday, February 07, 2005 2:06 PM
> > Subject: Re: WW I airfields
> >
> >
> > > William,
> > >
> > > Thanks for all of that.  One WW2 emergency / back up strip I've seen
was
> > > covered in a layer of small pea-sized rounded laterite pebble gravel.
> If
> > > you drive on it you often get car wheels spinning and I wondered
> whether
> > > that it was more to help in slowing down a landing plane rather than
> > helping
> > > one get max acceleration before lift off.
> > >
> > > Yes, the Australian War Memorial photo archives are a great and
> wonderful
> > > thing.  For anyone else interested www.awm.gov.au
> > >
> > > Good stuff!
> > >
> > > Denis
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "william mcAlexander" <[log in to unmask]>
> > > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > > Sent: Monday, February 07, 2005 10:19 AM
> > > Subject: Re: WW I airfields
> > >
> > >
> > > > Ha Ha, so would I Denis. I guess it depends on North or South
> > Hemisphere.
> > > > .
> > > >    But realy, from the photographs, the structures were in the
center,
> > and
> > > > the landing field outside.  If you think of a circle, from the
center
> > to
> > > > the
> > > > outer edge can be measured in a strait line.  That is how they took
> > off.
> > > > The principle is in moving away from a linear design, which as you
> > expand
> > > > can and will eventually take up a lot of space.
> > > >
> > > >    As for WW I airfields they were not paved, only leveled out.
Some
> > were
> > > > planted in slow growing short leafed grass.  In reading about
German
> > > > pilots,
> > > > one remark was that during the rainy season, almost as many
aircraft
> > were
> > > > disabled by muddy fields as were shot up.  Here in Northern North
> > America,
> > > > I
> > > > do not know about Mexico, French drains were installed along at
least
> > one
> > > > edge of the landing field. French drains were shallow ditches
loosly
> > > > filled
> > > > with gravel that would channel excess water away from the field
> towards
> > a
> > > > natural drainage.
> > > >
> > > > Although macadam surfaces were used in road construction, they do
not
> > > > appear
> > > > on any of the photographs of the landing surfaces I've checked.  I
> have
> > > > not
> > > > checked airfields constructed in the 1930s.
> > > >
> > > > I would hazard a guess that paved surfaces were really not a high
> > priority
> > > > untill aircraft weights and overall air travel incresed in the 30s.
> > > >
> > > > If you haven't already checked it Denis, you might want to check
out
> > the
> > > > photos archived in the Australian War Memorial.  Great stuff there.
> > > > I hope this helps,
> > > > William E. McAlexander Jr.
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "Denis Gojak" <[log in to unmask]>
> > > > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > > > Sent: Sunday, February 06, 2005 11:36 AM
> > > > Subject: Re: WW I airfields
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >> 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
> > > >>
> > > >> - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> > > >> Denis Gojak
> > > >> Banksia Heritage + Archaeology
> > > >> PO Box 457
> > > >> Newtown NSW 2042
> > > >> Australia
> > > >>
> > > >> W    02 9558 0220
> > > >> F     02 9558 4120
> > > >> M    0413 030 293
> > > >> 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.
> > > >
> > > >
> >
> >
>