Project Emily

H

Hooky722

Charter Member
Hi All,

I've been doing some light reading and came up with an Idea for a scenery project I'd like to put out there. In keeping with the whole Retro (specifically, Cold War) theme that seems to be sweeping across the community.

I thought it would be an idea to try and recreate some scenery of the 20 or so PGM -17 Thor missile sites around the UK I know this would only be 'eye candy' for the most part but I thought it would make a nice touch to the cold war theme and a tribute to the RAF Strategic Missile Squadrons who for 5 long years formed a largely forgotten part of the UK's Nuclear deterrent.

View attachment 81955 View attachment 81956

American Thor site /\ A British Thor Site /\

If these could be built as placeable objects or scenery Macros then it would just be a case of placing them in the relevant places.

3893586385_7324e8dc17.jpg

RAF Harrington

Just gauging interest atm

Regards

Hooky:salute:
 
I like that idea Hooky. I avoid putting nuclear power plants and wind turbines in my "Cold War" themed FS 9, but missile silos would get installed as soon as they were available.
 
for groundwork SBuilder could be used, for placing objects SBuilder can be utilised again or Airport Design editor, or the payware Instant Scenery...
 
just found this.... if i do it right i could, in theory, make the 'hard standing' a ground Poly....

Thor%20layout.jpg
 
Yeah I was thinking the same thing I posted an Image similar to that earlier they should be able to use both to make something nice
 
yeah i've gathered a mass of resources... should be able to start modelling critical components in the morning.... am even thinking about using the spotlights in 3DS Max to do the night lighting on site.... and a few little things which'll be revealed in good time :kilroy:
 
well.... i've made a start... base poly and retaining walls so far... how tall were these walls? they look to be as tall as the Missile in it's TEL in the Horizontal position... kinda like this i think...

View attachment 82074
 
I think there more like hanger height you can just make them out in that diagram you posted.
... Actually No I think yours is right forget I said anything lol

Hooky:salute:
 
another component is nearing the UV mapping stage....

View attachment 82077

and in Launch Attitude....

View attachment 82078

fun fact; There were no less than 60 of these sites in the UK, each possessing a PGM-17 IRBM (Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile) with a 1.44 Megaton Thermonuclear Warhead, 59 of which were brought to Operational Readiness during the Cuban Missile Crisis

EDIT @ 1201; well... just trialling the light/speaker poles.... will only unwrap 1 when done then duplicate it around the site making changes as i go.......

View attachment 82080
 
i couldn't help but laugh while doing my research into the Project...

-The Thor and the Bloodhound sites were wonderful night navigation aids. They both had brilliant yellow/orange sodium security lighting all around them and they stuck out like dog's boll*cks. I'm sure the Russians would have found this feature quite useful.

-One at Feltwell was demolished as golf balls were ricocheting off the blast walls to the danger of fellow golfers. It took three months to demolish (New meaning to 'Nuclear Bunker' perhaps?)

-when they were demolishing the pads at Mepal a few years ago for a new straw burning power station. Contractor did some serious and permanent damage to his JCB thingy with the pneumatic chisel on the end trying to break up said concrete.

:icon_lol::icon_lol:
 
Matt, weren't these things also based in Turkey? I think JFK agreed to dismantle the Thor sites in Turkey in exchange for the Soviet sites in Cuba, although this isn't generally known. It allowed Kr. to save some face in the Soviet Union. I've read the Thors were obsolescent anyway by the time of the missile crisis in '62. Also - weren't C-133s used to transport these missiles around? Possibilities there for some scenery add-ons to the right military airfields in Britain.
 
C-124's if i recall were used alongside the C-133's... i know some landed at Lakenheath, or was it Mildenhall for their local sites.... i know one for Certain landed at Feltwell as there's an image of the thing being unloaded....
 
SSI01 said:
Matt, weren't these things also based in Turkey? I think JFK agreed to dismantle the Thor sites in Turkey in exchange for the Soviet sites in Cuba, although this isn't generally known. It allowed Kr. to save some face in the Soviet Union. I've read the Thors were obsolescent anyway by the time of the missile crisis in '62. Also - weren't C-133s used to transport these missiles around? Possibilities there for some scenery add-ons to the right military airfields in Britain.
Click to expand...

That was the PGM-19, a very different beastie.
 
A little useful information...

Matt Wynn said:
C-124's if i recall were used alongside the C-133's... i know some landed at Lakenheath, or was it Mildenhall for their local sites.... i know one for Certain landed at Feltwell as there's an image of the thing being unloaded....
Click to expand...


Most cargo/pax aircraft have always flown under the aegis of MATS (Military Air Transport Service) up to the 50s and MAC (Military Airlift Command) afterwards... whose hubs were McGuire AFG and Charleston AFB (Europe) in New Jersey and
South Carolina respectively... and Air Evac at Scott AFB in Illinois...
and Travis, McCord AFBs and Hickham AFB (Pacific) and that is where they were actually based... They were periodically assigned to bases overseas but NOT stationed there... usually in a rotation basis...
As you might notice today... all aircraft sport on the tailfin the base they belong to... (most today being activated reserve wings... ANG or USAFR units so they have a state logo)
Today there is a MAC wing of C-17s (active USAF) stationed at Hickham in Oahu, HI. but their aircraft are often rotated ANG and USAFR property

I retired in early 1985, but worked aroung US bases in Europe, Turkey, Korea and the South Pacific... until practically this decade...
 
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