Aircraft cavern
Encyclopedia
Aircraft cavern is the literal translation
of the German word Flugzeugkaverne. A Flugzeugkaverne is an underground hangar
used by the Swiss Air Force
.
with a wooden core. This door is safe against small arms fire and hand grenade
s attack. Past these doors is a tunnel which is shaped like the letter S to make it impossible to fire on the main blast doors. As long as the blast doors are closed, the area with the aircraft is safe from NBC fallout. These blast doors are made of steel and reinforced with concrete.
Each Flugzeugkaverne consists of three tunnels:
Fuel storage is located behind the three tunnels. All this allows the complex to sustain 30 aircraft for about 30 days without re-supply of electricity, fuel, ammunition etc from the outside world.
Flugzeugkaverne Meiringen was built for a cost of about 120 million Swiss Francs and refurnished so that the F/A-18s would fit in. A new Tunnel Z was built so there was no need for the overhead crane
s. Tunnels Y and Z are connected by a few linking tunnels and some parking spaces were added on the opposite walls of each tunnel. So it is possible to operate 12 F/A-18s and the fighters can roll in and out at the same time without the need to move parked aircraft. This makes it possible to operate with more aircraft. The tunnels Y and Z are linked with a tunnel directly before the main blast doors so it is possible to refuel and rearm an aircraft during a mission without opening the main blast doors (especially useful in NBC conditions). Flugzeugkaverne Meiringen is different from other Swiss
Flugzeugkaverne, because the ammunition storage area has its own tunnel to the outside. Originally this was built as tunnel for the A-7G Corsair II, but the Corsairs lost the evaluation by a very small margin to the Dassault Milan. In the end, none of these Corsair aircraft or any other aircraft type was bought.
a small fighter aircraft like the Messerschmitt BF-109.
Flugzeugkavernen Alpnach, Ambri, Raron and Turtmann have closed down. Flugzeugkaverne Buochs has been mothballed, but if necessary it could be reactivated within a few hours.
Flugzeugkaverne were used to operate the following aircraft types:
Flugzeugkaverne would also have been able to operate N-20
, Mirage IIIBS/DS, P-16 and Learjet aircraft. Other aircraft types (BAe Hawk
and Alouette III) have been stored in Flugzeugkaverne after being withdrawn from service.
Literal translation
Literal translation, or direct translation, is the rendering of text from one language to another "word-for-word" rather than conveying the sense of the original...
of the German word Flugzeugkaverne. A Flugzeugkaverne is an underground hangar
Underground hangar
An Underground hangar is a type of hangar for military aircraft, usually dug into the side of a mountain for protection. It is bigger and more protected than a Hardened Aircraft Shelter ....
used by the Swiss Air Force
Swiss Air Force
The Swiss Air Force is the air component of the Swiss Armed Forces, established on July 31, 1914, as part of the Army and as of January 1966 an independent service.In peacetime, Dübendorf is the operational Air Force HQ...
.
Design
A Swiss Flugzeugkaverne has space for 30 or more aircraft. The outside door usually consists of a light composite material made from steelSteel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
with a wooden core. This door is safe against small arms fire and hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
s attack. Past these doors is a tunnel which is shaped like the letter S to make it impossible to fire on the main blast doors. As long as the blast doors are closed, the area with the aircraft is safe from NBC fallout. These blast doors are made of steel and reinforced with concrete.
Each Flugzeugkaverne consists of three tunnels:
- The first one is named Tunnel X. It provides space for 15 aircraft and is equipped to handle any major overhauls such as engine repairs or replacements. The aircraft are moved by lifting them up by cranes. Once they are on the crane, they can be moved the whole length of the tunnel. There is a direct link to the weapons storage chamber. The weapons storage is protected by a sealed door. The weapons room can be filled with inert gasGaseous fire suppressionGaseous fire suppression is a term to describe the use of inert gases and chemical agents to extinguish a fire. Also called Clean Agent Fire Suppression. These Agents are governed by the NFPA Standard for Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems - NFPA 2001 in the USA, with different standards and...
to prevent fire and explosions. It also holds ammunition for the soldier’s firearms and all the ammunition needed to re-arm the aircraft. This includes cannonCannonA cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
shells, Sidewinders and AmraamsAIM-120 AMRAAMThe AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM , is a modern beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile capable of all-weather day-and-night operations. Designed with the same form-factor as the previous generation of semi-active guided Sparrow missiles, it is a fire-and-forget...
. On the opposite side of the weapons chamber is the Command tunnel.
- Inside the Command tunnel, there are the working rooms for maintaining the aircraft systems, the communications center, briefing rooms, kitchen, dining rooms, sleeping places and diesel engineDiesel engineA diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s for maintaining the electrical power. Also there is enough food and water for the personnel. The Command tunnel is also protected by hermetically sealedHermetic sealA hermetic seal is the quality of being airtight. In common usage, the term often implies being impervious to air or gas. When used technically, it is stated in conjunction with a specific test method and conditions of usage.-Etymology :...
doors in case of NBC fallout.
- Next to the Command tunnel is Tunnel Y. Having the same size as Tunnel X, it can also hold 15 aircraft.
Fuel storage is located behind the three tunnels. All this allows the complex to sustain 30 aircraft for about 30 days without re-supply of electricity, fuel, ammunition etc from the outside world.
Flugzeugkaverne Meiringen was built for a cost of about 120 million Swiss Francs and refurnished so that the F/A-18s would fit in. A new Tunnel Z was built so there was no need for the overhead crane
Crane (machine)
A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with a hoist, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It uses one or more simple machines to create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal capability of...
s. Tunnels Y and Z are connected by a few linking tunnels and some parking spaces were added on the opposite walls of each tunnel. So it is possible to operate 12 F/A-18s and the fighters can roll in and out at the same time without the need to move parked aircraft. This makes it possible to operate with more aircraft. The tunnels Y and Z are linked with a tunnel directly before the main blast doors so it is possible to refuel and rearm an aircraft during a mission without opening the main blast doors (especially useful in NBC conditions). Flugzeugkaverne Meiringen is different from other Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
Flugzeugkaverne, because the ammunition storage area has its own tunnel to the outside. Originally this was built as tunnel for the A-7G Corsair II, but the Corsairs lost the evaluation by a very small margin to the Dassault Milan. In the end, none of these Corsair aircraft or any other aircraft type was bought.
Operational use
Six Swiss Flugzeugkavernen were constructed - Flugzeugkavernen Alpnach, Ambri, Buochs, Meiringen, Raron and Turtmann. During WW 2 were also Retablierungsstollen built in Alpnach, Buochs, Meiringen, St.Stefan and Saanen. Retablierstollen are straight tunnel, not much bigger than an Autobahn tunnel, where it is possible to store and re-arm aircraftAircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
a small fighter aircraft like the Messerschmitt BF-109.
Flugzeugkavernen Alpnach, Ambri, Raron and Turtmann have closed down. Flugzeugkaverne Buochs has been mothballed, but if necessary it could be reactivated within a few hours.
Flugzeugkaverne were used to operate the following aircraft types:
- de Havilland D.H.100 Vampire
- de Havilland D.H.112 VenomDe Havilland VenomThe de Havilland DH 112 Venom was a British postwar single-engined jet aircraft developed from the de Havilland Vampire. It served with the Royal Air Force as a single-seat fighter-bomber and two-seat night fighter....
- Hawker Hunter F Mk 58Hawker HunterThe Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
- Dassault Mirage IIIS / RSDassault Mirage IIIThe Mirage III is a supersonic fighter aircraft designed by Dassault Aviation during the late 1950s, and manufactured both in France and a number of other countries. It was a successful fighter aircraft, being sold to many air forces around the world and remaining in production for over a decade...
- Northrop F-5E Tiger II
- McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C/D Hornet (only Meiringen)
Flugzeugkaverne would also have been able to operate N-20
FFA N-20
-References:NotesBibliography* Haller, Ullrich. "The Swiss N-20 Jet Fighter-Bomber". Air Pictorial,July 1964. pp. 203–204.* Munziger, Ernst. Düsentriebwerke. Luzern:Baden Verlag, 1991. ISBN 3-85545-056-0....
, Mirage IIIBS/DS, P-16 and Learjet aircraft. Other aircraft types (BAe Hawk
BAE Hawk
The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single-engine, advanced jet trainer aircraft. It first flew in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk. The Hawk is used by the Royal Air Force, and other air forces, as either a trainer or a low-cost combat aircraft...
and Alouette III) have been stored in Flugzeugkaverne after being withdrawn from service.
External links
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfSpNVipZTo&playnext_from=TL&videos=7Pfqm02atSw Armeeschulfilm über die Schweizer Flugzeugkaverne