Missile launcher replica based on the Rapier air defense system
The Rapier Missile Launcher was built as a permanent site feature for Gumman Airsoft at Tuddenham, a former RAF base whose character is defined by abandoned infrastructure and improvised military remnants. The goal was not to create a novelty prop, but to add another piece of believable landscape that feels inherited rather than installed.
Loosely inspired by the British Rapier surface-to-air system, the launcher is built at roughly one-third scale and designed around a simple rule. From ten metres away, it must read instantly as a missile system. The angled white missiles, central radar dome, olive drab launcher box, and industrial hardware achieve that without requiring technical accuracy or explanation.
The launcher is mounted on a wheeled base with a towing arm, allowing it to be repositioned when needed, but its primary role is static. It sits as part of a wider radar installation that includes a satellite dish, field electronics, and camo netting, reinforcing the illusion of a semi-abandoned air defence site.
Materials were deliberately pragmatic. Wood construction, found industrial components, and custom printed parts were combined to prioritise scale, silhouette, and durability over precision engineering. The result is a feature that blends naturally into the environment and strengthens the site’s identity rather than distracting from it.
This project is about presence, not interaction. For now, the launcher exists to be seen, remembered, and believed.
