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Modern RAF HAS Complexes


James V

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Hi,

I have been toying with the idea for a while now to build a diaroma to properly pose my finished models in. One of the ideas i came across was to create a Aircraft HAS and pan surrounding it. I have thought about materials that can be used to create the has and surrounding area; perhaps the only thing holding me back is trying to get rough dimensions of such a HAS that you see all around our UK Bases. Would anyone know where I could obtain information or give rough sizes/ photos etc of these? I am aiming to build it up in 1/48th Scale, complete with Pan and taxiway if possible. I just thought it would be something different to display models on for photo purposes and to be honest a different project rather than bashing away at kits all the time.

James

Edited by James V
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For those with an interest in Cold War buildings, including HASs, then I would recommend this book:-

Cold War - Building for Nuclear Confrontation

It is lavishly illustrated and includes sections on Radar, Blue Steel, the RAF nuclear bombs (Blue Danube, WE177 etc.), the aforementioned HASs (RAF and USAF) as well as various bunkers and weird listening arrays in remote places, some of which I have visisted...

:giles:

Darius

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Here's a photo taken in 1981 at RAF Honnington,Normally at the rear are a set of racks for storeing Drop Tanks & a Portakabin which is used as crew rest area.

Merv

X003-2603-F.jpg

Edited by spike7451
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Just had a quick Google. This is the type of HAS you would find in RAFG.........

1020Bruggen20Moore202.jpg

and this is the type you will find on most UK stations. Note all the framework on the outside of the doors and the totally different size and shape..........

alconbury18.jpg

Gary.

I remember when RAF Upper Heyford HAS' were being constructed in the 1970's, the brushed lambs blood on all the bright concrete to tone it down. That is why the the brown color remains 30 years later, or so I was told at the time. There were 2 types of shelters, the second type was the Bitburg type, it had tri-angular concrete on the rear exhaust pens. I was fortinuate to work below ground level in the Avionics Bldg. 299. Best part of my life, too bad they are parking garages now.

JTY

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here's some pics of St.Mawgan's complex. ignore the fact some tart has parked his car in front of them mind! :)

STA70531.jpg

STA70532.jpg

and one of the hardened command buildings at the rear of the complex

STA70533.jpg

Edited by paul_c
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Just had a quick Google. This is the type of HAS you would find in RAFG.........

1020Bruggen20Moore202.jpg

and this is the type you will find on most UK stations. Note all the framework on the outside of the doors and the totally different size and shape..........

Gary.

Good God, HAS 21 I spent 3 years of my life working in that and the rest on our Squadron site......

That was from the Jag days, they had a side building added to house the Bowsers for the Tornado, also we had the luxury of having the portacabin added inside towards the end of the Jags stay, prior to that you used to sit and lay around on the heating ducting and freeze to death on exercise in the winter......... you think I jest, but the heating was designed to keep the HAS and the Aircraft at 1 Degree above freezing and only 1 Degree... the idea being if you heated the aircraft, it snowed and you dragged it outside, the snow would melt and refreeze possibly jamming controls.......... so rather than that happening we froze instead...... bugger me it was cold... :( they used to hold 2 Jags and as they were designed to only hold a single fighter the Jags would start up inside and taxy out, unfortunately the rear blast doors you can see in the Tonka Toy picture for the exhaust did not line up with either Jags jet pipes, so doing a start it all blasted off the walls and recirculated in the HAS and even opening the front doors it was equivalent to smoking 40 a day per aircraft see off....

Edited by TonyT
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Good God, HAS 21 I spent 3 years of my life working in that and the rest on our Squadron site......

That was from the Jag days, they had a side building added to house the Bowsers for the Tornado, also we had the luxury of having the portacabin added inside towards the end of the Jags stay, prior to that you used to sit and lay around on the heating ducting and freeze to death on exercise in the winter......... you think I jest, but the heating was designed to keep the HAS and the Aircraft at 1 Degree above freezing and only 1 Degree... the idea being if you heated the aircraft, it snowed and you dragged it outside, the snow would melt and refreeze possibly jamming controls.......... so rather than that happening we froze instead...... bugger me it was cold... :( they used to hold 2 Jags and as they were designed to only hold a single fighter the Jags would start up inside and taxy out, unfortunately the rear blast doors you can see in the Tonka Toy picture for the exhaust did not line up with either Jags jet pipes, so doing a start it all blasted off the walls and recirculated in the HAS and even opening the front doors it was equivalent to smoking 40 a day per aircraft see off....

He's not joking....Try squeezing 2 growbags,4 bombheads & 4 or 5 other trades into a portakabin half the size of a standard one you see in civvie strasse...Hot & Smelly!

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Can still hear that constant metronomic clicking sound that used to come down the telebrief speaker. Used to drive you insane :bangin:

Remember the mad dash to get the hot meals from the middle of the hotbox's on excerise :whistle: ....Fleecing the growbags at Uckkers :evil_laugh: ....Happy days... :speak_cool:

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Gents,

Wow! Thank you all for your comments, I didn't expect as many people to comment or give advice at all. Thank you

IV(AC)Plumb, I would welcome any shots that you have or any reference pictures. I was looking at RAF Marhams HAS Shelters on Google Earth, from their scale they seem to be around 60 metres x 25 metres for the main complex. Just by chance are you based at Marham at the moment?

Any information you have will be great

Edited by James V
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Remember the mad dash to get the hot meals from the middle of the hotbox's on excerise :whistle: ....Fleecing the growbags at Uckkers :evil_laugh: ....Happy days... :speak_cool:

And having a Jengo who's Religion forbade him eating pork, so tucking into HIS Compo Sausage, Bacon, egg, and Beans whilst telling him ohh this is gorgous and "just what the doctor ordered" piping hot and tasty too boot as he looked on starving and cold........ Loverloverloverlly :D

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And having a Jengo who's Religion forbade him eating pork, so tucking into HIS Compo Sausage, Bacon, egg, and Beans whilst telling him ohh this is gorgous and "just what the doctor ordered" piping hot and tasty too boot as he looked on starving and cold........ Loverloverloverlly :D

Aww diddums...that's Jengo's for you,.... it might be a congealed mess when it turns up but throw in Tea,Nato,Standard & couple of slices stale white MOD bread & it's bliss...!

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IV(AC)Plumb, I would welcome any shots that you have or any reference pictures. I was looking at RAF Marhams HAS Shelters on Google Earth, from their scale they seem to be around 60 metres x 25 metres for the main complex. Just by chance are you based at Marham at the moment?

No chap, left Marham in 92 to go on IV(AC) at Laarbruch....

Demob in 95 (made redundant under options for change!)

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He's not joking....Try squeezing 2 growbags,4 bombheads & 4 or 5 other trades into a portakabin half the size of a standard one you see in civvie strasse...Hot & Smelly!

That's why I slept in the bowser, it had a cab heater........toasty

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And having a Jengo who's Religion forbade him eating pork, so tucking into HIS Compo Sausage, Bacon, egg, and Beans whilst telling him ohh this is gorgous and "just what the doctor ordered" piping hot and tasty too boot as he looked on starving and cold........ Loverloverloverlly :D

Wot no babies heads (steak and kidney pies without a lid)

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MMM....followed by trainsmash & custard...(jam rolly polly)

How about bacon, scrambled egg (powdered), compo sausages, plum tomatoes and hash browns - all served in a polystyrene tray- three times a day, every day for a four day taceval?

Mmmmmmm- the HPS dorms smelled lurvely- especially with all the smokers in the plant room!

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Yup Troffa,know that one,after a while it's 'who can fart the loudist & drop the most smelly one' in our Load Team.Normally Man 1 or 3 won....

One Ex at Bruggen,I was duty plum along with Sgt D Hastings,a wee sadistic Jock.,Anyhoo, in war,the armoury complex became the Medical center & all the medics were sitting around in full goon gear & S10 in the tea bar,So being the unfeeling devious barstewards us Bombheeds are, :devil: (and being excercise exempt) we decided to cook breakfast....Bacon..Egg...Sausages...Fried Bread....all under the envious & murderous gaze of the medics.. :wicked:

Washed down with a cup of NATO Standard while sitting in the rest room watching TV....

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Too bad you're not making a Generation 1 TAB-V (original name for HAS). I have scans of some blueprints of one of them. One of these days I plan on building one, like I worked in, in Germany.

Larry

Edited by ReccePhreak
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Too bad you're not making a Generation 1 TAB-V (original name for HAS). I have scans of some blueprints of one of them. One of these days I plan on building one, like I worked in, in Germany.

Larry

Wow - I'd love to see those if you are up for sharing ?

Cheers,

Haydn.

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Yup Troffa,know that one,after a while it's 'who can fart the loudist & drop the most smelly one' in our Load Team.Normally Man 1 or 3 won....

One Ex at Bruggen,I was duty plum along with Sgt D Hastings,a wee sadistic Jock.,Anyhoo, in war,the armoury complex became the Medical center & all the medics were sitting around in full goon gear & S10 in the tea bar,So being the unfeeling devious barstewards us Bombheeds are, :devil: (and being excercise exempt) we decided to cook breakfast....Bacon..Egg...Sausages...Fried Bread....all under the envious & murderous gaze of the medics.. :wicked:

Washed down with a cup of NATO Standard while sitting in the rest room watching TV....

Coming off shift on exercise at some God awful late hour of the night and due back in at the crack of sparrows fart, so what else is to be done but to settle down for a corridor party and procede to get blottoed, so much so we all miss the highlight of the evening, the burning down of the Police Block next to ours, rumour has it the firemen, God Bless them, kicked all the room doors in and gave everthing in the other wing a good hosing down to prevent the fire spreading :speak_cool:

All being interviewed several days later as to what we saw........... went like this,

ok so you came off shift at 11 pm after doing a 18 hr shift, correct?........ yes Mr Plod............ Ok and you were back in at 6am the next day, correct?.... Yes Mr Plod.............. So what did you do?....................... ahh we all had a party and got wasted Mr Plod :innocent: So you had a party, did you see anything, who were you with, did they leave the party at any time lol?................ Nope, was getting drunk............ OK what time did the party break up?............... ahhh about 4.30 - 5.00 ish........................... :whistle: What you did an 18 Hr shift got drunk for 4 odd hours, had an hour or so sleep then went back to work................................ Yup Mr Plod

Boy I bet none of us could do that again :)

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Coming off shift on exercise at some God awful late hour of the night and due back in at the crack of sparrows fart, so what else is to be done but to settle down for a corridor party and procede to get blottoed, so much so we all miss the highlight of the evening, the burning down of the Police Block next to ours, rumour has it the firemen, God Bless them, kicked all the room doors in and gave everthing in the other wing a good hosing down to prevent the fire spreading :speak_cool:

All being interviewed several days later as to what we saw........... went like this,

ok so you came off shift at 11 pm after doing a 18 hr shift, correct?........ yes Mr Plod............ Ok and you were back in at 6am the next day, correct?.... Yes Mr Plod.............. So what did you do?....................... ahh we all had a party and got wasted Mr Plod :innocent: So you had a party, did you see anything, who were you with, did they leave the party at any time lol?................ Nope, was getting drunk............ OK what time did the party break up?............... ahhh about 4.30 - 5.00 ish........................... :whistle: What you did an 18 Hr shift got drunk for 4 odd hours, had an hour or so sleep then went back to work................................ Yup Mr Plod

Boy I bet none of us could do that again :)

Block parties were ace!One of my Snecs woke up in the bath covered in empty beer tins & Dorty bottles with his eyebrows missing & "C***" wrote on his forehead after he fell asleep during one...Silly bugger!

Speaking of burning building's,I gather 14sqn's block at Bruggen burnt down under 'suspicious circomstances'...

Merv

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