You are virtually there as the RAF opens its online station

Citation

(2001), "You are virtually there as the RAF opens its online station", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 73 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2001.12773dag.002

You are virtually there as the RAF opens its online station

You are virtually there as the RAF opens its online stationKeywords: Royal Air Force, Internet

The UK's Royal Air Force stepped into a new virtual dimension recently, allowing anyone in the world access to an RAF station through the Internet.

Through highly innovative new technology, users of the RAF Web site (http://www.raf.mod.uk) will for the first time be able to take a virtual tour of a RAF station, moving from the main gate to the control tower, engineering and operational areas. The virtual site is made up from elements of actual Royal Air Force stations.

The views are made up of a highly specialised use of conventional photography. The camera was rotated with great precision over a pre-set number of degrees to produce a flat film strip. The images then had the lens distortion removed and were stitched together to form a virtual 3D image which can be rotated around, allowing users to zoom in and out.

Air Commodore David Walker, RAF Director of Corporate Communications, said: "The virtual reality air force station is an exciting new addition to the RAF Web site. The amount of work that has gone into producing the station is incredible and is aimed at maintaining the RAF site's global reputation for speed and excellence".

The Internet has become a major means of communication for the Ministry of Defence and all three of Britain's Armed Forces – the Royal Air Force site is now the fourth largest hitting aviation Web site in the world, the largest outside the USA. It has a hit rate in the millions per month.

Web site designer Tim Callaway said: "The interactive station needs the Live Picture Viewer plug-in for browsers Microsoft Internet Explorer 3 and above or Netscape Navigator 3 and above. This is available as a free download from a click through on the page itself. The controls are explained on the title page and the image files are tremendously compressed to allow for fast and efficient download, even over a standard telephone line with a relatively low spec modem and computer".

Visitors to the virtual RAF station start at the main gate, heading whenever they wish for the control tower and entering the local radar control room and visual control room. When ready, they can switch to the engineering department of a Tornado F3 air defence station and a hardened aircraft shelter. While there they can also climb into the front and rear cockpits of the fighter. What is more, they can also visit the all-important safety and fire section to see a wide range of fire-fighting vehicles.

And this is just the beginning. Over the next three months, extra attractions to be added to the interactive station will include an engineering hangar for Hercules transport and the aircraft itself, including the cockpit; Jaguar, Harrier and Tornado GR4 fast jet aircraft; and an airborne early warning (AWACS) Sentry aircraft, inside and out, together with its famous Texas Tower maintenance facility.

Together with these will be the administrative section of a typical RAF station; both Officers' and NCOs' messes; the operations room where missions are planned; an engine maintenance facility; supply branch; station headquarters, training aircraft; and a search and rescue helicopter. The culmination will come next year when the world famous Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team will be added too.

The secret of the RAF site's success is its speed of download; the pages are designed to be especially fast in delivering information to the user. Further developments will include a new photographic gallery and a fast news service, which will include capability to deliver digital camera live feeds from anywhere in the world at any time.