Goodly morning all...

Here is a Link you might find interesting:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bleep/SimHist5.html

With Reference to the below post...

/yabb?num=1330648826

Now these World War Two Flight Trainers actually had motion the way I read it...
Just like the Link Trainer...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_Trainer

Sure would like to have got my hands on one of those Handley Page Halifax Flight Trainers.

Of course Graphic Cards are much better and standard today on computers.

The DC3 Flight Trainer we had for Instrument Training/Crew Training had a map on a table about the size of a Pool or Billiards Table where the Chief Pilot sat and watched your progress...

There was lots of room in my old hangar for a four engine Flight Trainer which I never thought to pick up...

Nothing like a good four or two piston engine Flight Trainer to fill in an afternoon after one retires....

And

Look Chief...no engine oil leaks...

Now all I have is a computer desk...several flat screens...and the old girl to rock my computer chair on wheels and make engine sounds...

Flying Trucker wrote on Mar 5^th, 2012 at 12:21pm:

Hi Doug. Just seen your link. First I've heard of these Silloth Trainers. I doubt that there are any left now. C might know. 

From the photo they look like a wooden mock-up. I doubt they had a motion system like the Link trainer.

As a matter of interest, my brother worked at Redifon for many years. He was there when they developed the six-axis motion system that's still used on modern flight simulators. Also the curved mirror & digital graphics. Their first efforts were not unlike MSFS. Of course, this was long after the end of WWII.

Flying Trucker wrote on Mar 5^th, 2012 at 12:55pm:

Yes I saw that. I don't know what they mean by "computation" but the fuselage in the photo looks pretty stationary. Perhaps it's in an unfinished state.

PS. I found another interesting article here --> http://www.raes-fsg.org.uk/18/The_Cambridge_Cockpit/

Just found this Link Doug...

http://www.ronaldv.nl/abandoned/airfields/GB/england/cumbria.html

Taken from the above Link:

In 1942 Wing Commander Iles developed the 'Silloth Trainer', a forerunner to the modern flight simulator.

It was presumably built around parts of a a Hudson fuselage and fitted up with electrics and pneumatics to simulate engine sound, instrument readings, and movement.

Hi Doug...

I found it strange but the Vickers Wellington Flight Simulator came out during the Silloth Trainer.

Now to me the Avro Lancaster and Handley Page Halifax probably the best two bombers from the Second World War were much more advanced than the Vickers Wellington.

I know the Halifax had a computer on board to balance bomb and fuel load when primary and secondary targets were selected.

The DeHavilland Mosquito would carry the same load as the American Boeing B17 (on a Long Range Mission), the Mosquito was only twin engine and faster and from what I read, much more accurate to deliver a load with.

I think the Americans under Lend Lease were delivering there North American B25s also.

So, not sure why they would design a Wellington Flight Simulator during that time period because the Silloth Trainer could simulate four and two engine aircraft like the Handley Page Halifax, Avro Lancaster and the Douglas DC3/C47/Dak and the DeHavilland Mosquito.

Good morning and thanks for the replies Doug.

Have spent considerable time trying to find out more about Flight Simulators during the 1939 to 1945 time period.

I do not think there is much on the internet about this topic.

The odd location and name are dropped but when I get to the site the information is either not there, incomplete or written by the same author...

Fascinating subject this Flight Simulator topic is...