Descriptions
and Images of Equipment Sought for WBAS/CAA Room
Phase
I, 1940
Revised:
Thank you
for helping to restore an aviation and meteorology heritage! You can help us find
the items described in the table below so that visitors to the 1040 Air
Terminal Museum located at Houston Hobby Field can enjoy and learn from the
restored
Furniture, office accessories, observing
instruments, charts, and everything that we can think of that existed in the
room in 1950 are listed along with links to representative images. We provide a
brief description of each item along with comments about the accompanying image
listed in the right-hand column.
If you
have questions, please call or email Graden,
Graden: 281.530.0995 email: gharger@ev1.net
Brian: 970.887.2851 (home) or (cell)
719.930.6048 email:
Restoration of the terminal
building and display rooms is taking place in two phases. Phase I
began in this summer and will be complete for the grand opening of the facility
in December. The WBAS-CAA room is located on the first floor, north wing. The
room will be relocated to its1940s and 50s location during Phase II
once additional funds are secured, hopefully in two years.
Thanks again for help in this important project; we
look forward to hearing from you.
Item or
Equipment Needed
|
Description |
Images: Examples of items |
Furniture—Obs + Brief
1.
Map Display Area. 4 sfc charts displayed on vertical backs above display area. (see
below for needed charts and other data to display) 2.
Bottom section was a
horizontal, sloping cabinet top. 3.
Drafting-plotting table—separated the briefing from observing
sections. 4.
Office furniture 5.
Library book cases 6.
Clip boards |
We’re looking for any furniture of the 1940-1955 period. Donations, items on loan to the museum, or purchase are desired. We
have one image containing representative furniture: the chart plotting table
and phone. We’re
looking for pictures that anyone might have of airport stations (need not be
HOU) that we can use for displays. |
Map plotting table arrangement &
office furniture circa 1950. image:
wea01503[1] |
Met Equipment 1.
Anemometer was located on top of the tower (Cab) 2.
Read-out console for anemometer located in the observing section. 3.
Recording microbarograph was mounted on a shelf on an interior wall
at eye-level. 4.
Wall-mounted mercury barometer; also on interior wall. 5.
Clinometer and ceiling light for
calculating cloud base heights. This is the technology used before the fixed
beam ceilometer was introduced. We discussed having
both technologies in the displays. 6.
Fixed beam ceilometer 7.
Pilot balloons (white, red, & black and maybe orange—30 & 100
gm size. 8.
Ceiling balloons were black 10 gm size. 9.
Pilot balloon balance & weights 10.
One theodolite 11. One white instrument
shelter with Townsend Support
(need several wet & dry temperatures for replacement and instructional
purposes) 12.
8” rain gauge with white base—we have this from Aubrey King’s
collection of CAA-FSS equipment. |
Anemometer and Office display
Not
sure of the model anemometer that was used in the cab or the display console
located in the obs section. We’re looking for model # F-420. The
equipment shown in wbcaa0030 was not used at Houston, but at other airport
stations.
Recording microbarograph We
found images of two similar models. Mercury
barometers. Several
images of models close to what was installed Ceiling light and clinometer
These
images are similar to the ones used at HOU WBAS, but the light was always
“fixed” in the vertical. Image wbcaa0034 is exactly the instrument used at
HOU WBAS! Fixed beam ceilometer
No images available. If anyone has ideas
about this instrument, we will appreciate your help. Pilot (and ceiling) balloons & equipment
We
would very much like to have a “Theodolite stand” if we can find one. A
tripod would e our second choice. The stand was bolted to the deck. It had a
gear track on the vertical pipe and a “screw drive” that was cranked to
adjust the theodolite to the observer’s eye level before beginning an
observation. A small crank handle then locked the movable section where it
was positioned. It also had a metal plate mounted on the right side (because
I (Graden) was left-handed) on which was placed the form for recording the
azimuth and elevation readings each minute. If pilot balloon observations are
still made, we should be able to get most of the equipment and forms used in
the complete process. The
tripod used at the WBAS was more “user friendly” in terms of stability. They
did not sure the portable tripod, but if one exists, it was be ok for the
WBAS-CAA room. Balloon filling apparatus
Theodolite
& tripod These
look the same, but you might be able to distinguish differences. There are
images from the NWS Historic Series and images I found. Pilot and Ceiling Balloons needed. We’re looking for several
examples of pilot and ceiling balloons. Pilot balloons were 30 and 100 gm
sizes in white, red, black and maybe orange. Ceiling
balloons were 10 gm only. Instrument shelter & Townsend support. Either
type of shelter, as shown, will be ok, but Graden prefers the one with metal
legs, as this was the type used at HOU. We
will need one Townsend support for one shelter, wet and dry bulb thermometers,
and the whirling psychrometer, as shown in the
image. Also, we can use several sling psychrometers with several wet-dry thermometers as part of our hands-on educational program at the museum or with the traveling programs. I found a whirling psychrometer
in Byers’ text. |
Anemometer and Office display
Two from Byers. images: wbcaa0029
and wbcaa0030 Recording microbarograph
From Halpine.
Image:
wbcaa0052 The one I have. Images: wbcaa0036
and wbcaa0037 Clinometer and ceiling light
From Byers 1944. Images: wbcaa0032
and wbcaa0034
From
Aviation. Image: wbcaa0033
Fixed beam ceilometer
No
images available. Pilot & ceiling balloon equipment
Gregg: image: wbcaa0044 Theodolite & tripod
Gregg: images: wbcaa0045, 0046, and 0047. Aviation: image: wbcaa0004 NWS historic: images: wea01120, wea01121,Instrument shelter
Byers. Image: wbcaa0010 Shelter with Townsend support:
Image:wea00935 Whirling psychrometer:
Image: wbcaa0011 |
Met charts & calculation devices
1.
4 Surface charts that were hand-plotted. 2.
Upper air charts: 850mb, 700 mb, 500 mb 3.
Winds aloft charts: 1,000 ft; 2,000 ft intervals. 4.
Any tty (yellow paper) data of circuit C or
A. 5.
Visibility tables—this can be hand drawn based on Graden’s memory of
landmarks used in the 50s. 6.
Distance tables for PIBALs. 7.
Winds aloft plotting board—this was hand-made in the 50s. 8.
Winds aloft graphing board, |
Do
you know if examples of these charts may exist at NWSHQ? Would copies from
the Daily Map Series be authentic enough? PIBAL
tables—these were uniform across the WB—any remaining in the archives? Winds
aloft graphing board—manufactured—examples may remain somewhere. |
|
[1] Images using the weaxxxx designation are from the NOAA-NWS Historical Image Catalog located on the WWW at http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/historic/nws/nwind1.htm
