Zendstation Smilde
Encyclopedia
Zendstation Smilde is a tall, guyed structure similar to the Gerbrandy Tower
, built in Hoogersmilde
, the Netherlands
in 1959 for directional radio services and TV and FM-transmissions. It consists of an 80 metre high reinforced concrete tower and had until a fire accident on July 15, 2011, a guyed mast mounted on top. When first built, the tower, including the mast, was 270 metres high. The addition of a further section (analog TV - UHF antenna) to the mast increased its total height to 303.5 m (996 ft).
In September 2007 the analog TV - UHF antenna was removed and replaced by a new UHF antenna for DVB-T, reducing the tower's height to 294 m (965 ft).
, from the Lakenheath Air Force Base in England was involved in an accident in heavy low clouds where the tip of a wing hit and broke one of the guy-wire
s of the tower, causing the upper section of the tower to bend. The airplane managed to land on base with only minimal damage.
Gerbrandy Tower
The Gerbrandy Tower is a tower which was built in 1961 in the Netherlands.-Description:It is situated in IJsselstein. The Gerbrandy Tower is used for directional radio services and for FM- and TV-broadcasting. The Gerbrandy Tower consists of a concrete tower with a height of 100 meters on which a...
, built in Hoogersmilde
Hoogersmilde
Hoogersmilde is a town in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Midden-Drenthe, and lies about 16 km southwest of Assen.In 2001, the town of Hoogersmilde had 730 inhabitants...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in 1959 for directional radio services and TV and FM-transmissions. It consists of an 80 metre high reinforced concrete tower and had until a fire accident on July 15, 2011, a guyed mast mounted on top. When first built, the tower, including the mast, was 270 metres high. The addition of a further section (analog TV - UHF antenna) to the mast increased its total height to 303.5 m (996 ft).
In September 2007 the analog TV - UHF antenna was removed and replaced by a new UHF antenna for DVB-T, reducing the tower's height to 294 m (965 ft).
Aircraft incident
On 14 August 1968 a US Air Force plane, an F-100 Super SabreF-100 Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
, from the Lakenheath Air Force Base in England was involved in an accident in heavy low clouds where the tip of a wing hit and broke one of the guy-wire
Guy-wire
A guy-wire or guy-rope, also known as simply a guy, is a tensioned cable designed to add stability to structures . One end of the cable is attached to the structure, and the other is anchored to the ground at a distance from the structure's base...
s of the tower, causing the upper section of the tower to bend. The airplane managed to land on base with only minimal damage.
Fire and collapse
On 15 July 2011, the antenna section caught fire and collapsed, leaving only the concrete base standing.External links
- Smilde Transmission Tower on fire and collapsing on 15 July 2011 (youtube video)
- Smilde Transmission Tower on fire and collapsing on 15 July 2011 (youtube video)
- Smilde Transmission Tower on fire and collapsing on 15 July 2011 (youtube video)