Post by Bernard on Sept 15, 2024 21:39:50 GMT
Goodwood is a well known British racing circuit in West Sussex and became famous for its Glover Trophy non-championship Formula One race. The racing track began life as the perimeter track of RAF Westhampnett airfield, which was constructed during World War II as a relief airfield for RAF Tangmere.
Despite that this site didn't exist in the Thirties, I backdated the race track part of 'UK2000' scenery and added the vintage racing cars 'Bugatti 35b' and 'Mercedes SSKL' done by Erwin Welker. They move there as AI on four separate taxiways.
To be historically correct, I better had to choose Brooklands / Weybridge, southwest of London. This racing site was already opened in 1907 and was the first purpose-built banked motor race circuit in the world. Brooklands was also one of Britain's first airfields.
The first flight of the Hawker Hurricane occurred at Brooklands on 6 November 1935.
In World War II, the site was again used for military aircraft production, in particular the Vickers Wellington, Vickers Warwick and Hawker Hurricane and was extensively camouflaged.
After the war, the circuit was in poor condition and it was sold to Vickers-Armstrongs in 1946 for continued use as an aircraft factory. New aircraft types including the Viking, Valetta, Varsity, Viscount, Vanguard, 1-11 and VC10 were subsequently, designed, manufactured and delivered from there.
The Brooklands scenery of 'Vintage London Airfields' package depictes the banked bends. Understandably these aren't quite suitable for AI traffic!
Apparently drawing inspiration from the development there, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was built soon afterwards, and held its inaugural race in August 1909.
Bernard