Airport accessories

[Feuer Zug]

Many airports have systems that assist the pilots and air traffic controllers with safe operations. The first, simplest, and most identifiable is the classic windsock. Here we show two variants, one with a solid breeze and another with no wind.

A windsock is a conical textile tube, used as an indicator of wind speed and direction. At many airports, windsocks are externally or internally lit at night. Wind direction is opposite the direction in which the windsock is pointing. Wind speed is indicated by the windsock's angle relative to the mounting pole. In low winds it droops; in high winds, it flies horizontally.

Next, we have the Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR). This is based on the American ASR-9 mounted on an old rock baseplate.

ASR is used at airports to detect and display the presence and position of aircraft. It consist of two radar systems, the primary and secondary surveillance radar. The primary radar is usually a large rotating parabolic antenna dish. It detects the position and range of aircraft. The secondary surveillance radar consists of a second rotating antenna, often mounted on the primary antenna, which interrogates the transponders of aircraft, which transmits a signal back containing the aircraft's identification, barometric altitude, and an emergency status code, which is displayed on the radar screen next to the return from the primary radar.

In bad weather, the Instrument Landing System (ILS) is used to guide aircraft towards the runway. There are two parts to the modern ILS, the Localizer and Glideslope.

The ILS localizer, is a system of horizontal guidance in the instrument landing system, which is used to guide aircraft along the axis of the runway. A localizer is an antenna array normally located beyond the departure end of the runway and generally consists of several pairs of directional antennas. The localizer will allow the aircraft to turn and match the aircraft's heading with the runway.

A glide slope station uses a phased antenna array on a tower which is offset to one side of the runway and beyond the approach end of the runway, adjacent to the runway touchdown zone. The glide slope provides descent guidance information during final approach.

VORTAC (Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range Station (VOR) with TACAN). (VOR) is a type of short-range VHF radio navigation system for aircraft, enabling aircraft with a VOR receiver to determine the azimuth (also radial), referenced to magnetic north, between the aircraft to/from fixed VOR ground radio beacons.

Finally, we have the Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI). The PAPI is a system of lights on the side of a runway threshold that provides visual descent guidance information during final approach. It is generally located on the left-hand side of the runway approximately 300 meters (980 ft) beyond the landing threshold of the runway. The ratio of white to red lights seen is dependent on the angle of approach to the runway. Above the designated glide slope a pilot will see more white lights than red; below the ideal angle more red lights than white will be seen. At the optimum approach angle the ratio of white to red lights will be equal.

Information taken from Wikipedia and trimmed.

[Toastie]

This is so nicely introduced - and well done. I love the text you wrapped around your photographs - so informative!!! Thank you so much for that.

And of course: Thank you for sharing all these nice air traffic related devices. Most of us know what earth-bound traffic devices do and mean, but this is one (or many) step(s) farther. Very nice, I love it.

All the best
Thorsten 

[Feuer Zug]

17 hours ago, Toastie said:

This is so nicely introduced - and well done. I love the text you wrapped around your photographs - so informative!!! Thank you so much for that.

And of course: Thank you for sharing all these nice air traffic related devices. Most of us know what earth-bound traffic devices do and mean, but this is one (or many) step(s) farther. Very nice, I love it.

All the best
Thorsten 

Thanks. I enjoy building some of the more forgotten infrastructure that keeps our transportation networks flowing.

[Daiman]

Thumbs up! These are the things that instinctively add realism to a diorama or layout although we rarely pay much attention to them.

Go and build a massive airport.

[Feuer Zug]

20 hours ago, Daiman said:

Thumbs up! These are the things that instinctively add realism to a diorama or layout although we rarely pay much attention to them.

Go and build a massive airport.

Thank you. I'm slowly working on my airport layout. These do add to the scene and make it more realistic. I wanted to get a few of the smaller pieces seen while I do the hangars and rest of it. Building the ramp, taxiways, and runway will take more time.

[danimarroquin]

fantastic builds ! great job .  going to keep this ones in mind for my next airport 

[ParmBrick]

Nice set of airport accessories, very realistic. Next step: airport vehicles

[Feuer Zug]

On 4/26/2025 at 8:56 PM, danimarroquin said:

fantastic builds ! great job .  going to keep this ones in mind for my next airport 

Thanks. The little things do make the display work better.

On 4/27/2025 at 5:19 AM, ParmBrick said:

Nice set of airport accessories, very realistic. Next step: airport vehicles

Grazi. I've got a refueling truck I built. Besides that, not much is needed for the size of the airport I'm building that I don't already have from LEGO.