Conference 26-27 May 2004
Royal Aeronautical Society, 4 Hamilton Place, London, W1
conference paper by Henrik Jaspers
<henrikjaspers@hotmail.com>
(PO BOX 57, 4854 ZH Bavel, The Netherlands)
RESTORING AND OPERATING HISTORICAL AVIATION TRAINERS
Abstract
The paper describes a collection of aviation trainers covering a period of twenty years. In brief the development of the techniques applied in aviation trainers from 1937 to 1950 is discussed. A summary is given of the problems of restoring. The altitude systems of the C-3, the C-8 and the C-11 are dealt with in brief, giving an insight in the rapidly increasing complexity over a period of ten years. The importance of giving demonstrations with aviation trainers in public museums is emphasised as a way of educating and amusing the visitors. This could best be done by (retired) pilots. “Flying” a trainer with the hood closed following the instructions of the instructor gives a very special emotion, almost like travelling in time. The paper ends with the hope that somewhere in the world a well known aviation museum will establish a section dedicated to the history of flight simulation.
The start of a collection
Somewhere in the seventies I restored a pinball machine for my two young sons to play with. Perhaps this is what sparked my interest in electro-mechanical machines. Later on my eldest son developed a fierce interest in flying and wanted to become a pilot. But in the end he decided for a different career. However, to support his interest in flying I already had bought an old Link Trainer. This early historic Link Trainer was of the D-2 type from approximately 1939 and was in a bad state. Many essential parts were missing as well as the handbook. At first, it was fun to understand the functioning of the machine and to try to find out what was missing. But not having a technical education making the trainer operational again was aimed to high. The trainer could have become a nightmare if I had not discovered Red Gross in the USA in the early eighties (he had known Ed Link). Calling himself a “dirty mechanic” he was not dirty at all. He constructed aviation trainers for the market mainly from Link spare parts. From him I could order missing parts, but soon at the age of eighty years he let me know he would finish his business and had to scrap his stock of spare parts for which he had to pay! I was able to interrupt my work and flew to the United States immediately. For four days it was like heaven and hell combined: he had a great number of spare parts but also a Curtiss-Wright P-3 Trainer. Until then I was convinced that I had to limit my collection to Link Trainers. However this P-3 trainer was not like the early Link Trainers as the fuselage was constructed with the aluminium techniques of a real airplane. It had a lot of appeal so I could not resist it and bought it.
Knowing everything would be scrapped it was very difficult to decide in four days what to buy and what not. Preferably I would have purchased the whole place with everything in it. But this was not realistic. Then we had to discuss the price of all the pieces I had sorted out, including the Curtiss-Wright trainer. To fix the price Red was trying to find out if I was a dealer or not. Would he ask more if he knew I was a ‘hobbyist'? I told him the truth and this came out all right: me being a hobbyist he charged relatively low prices. Red would take care of the shipping and this gave no problem apart from the Curtiss-Wright trainer. It was declared to the authorities for export as an aviation trainer and the Customs would not let it go because they claimed it was “strategic material” giving me a nightmare again. But after some time this was cleared by Red and the trainer was also shipped to the Netherlands. Also I visited the Roberson Museum in Binghamton (a Link trainer factory is still situated in Binghamton). They have an interesting permanent Link exhibition and as far as I know preserve the Link historical files. In the cellar was a school Link from just after the war, completely dismantled and possibly for sale or available for a museum. It is unknown to me if it is still there.
Now I really was caught by the Link Trainer virus and started to look for more. Soon trainers in many countries were found and a historic collection was formed. Additionally, my documentation began to grow, among others with the help of Dr. John Rolfe of The Royal Aeronautical Society.
The Collection
LINK D-2 Instrument Flying Trainer
(about 1939), recovered in the Netherlands. It was originally used by the Government Flying School (and/or by KLM) and offered the first training capability for civil aviation in the Netherlands.
Currently, it is operational again for demonstrations in the Museum Liberating Wings <www.wingsofliberation.nl> at Best, the Netherlands. Both a team of engineers for maintenance as well as a flying team of (retired) professional pilots has been composed.
General description from the Handbook of the D-2:
“The Link Trainer consists of a fuselage with wings and empennage, mounted on a universal joint in such a manner as to permit movement in bank and pitch in excess of manoeuvres normally done on instruments. The universal joint is mounted on a turn table which is free to revolve indefinitely about a vertical axis. Movement around any of the three axes or combination thereof is controlled as an airplane, by wheel (or stick) and rudder pedals, attached to valves which in turn control vacuum operated bellows. Vacuum is supplied by a three quarter horsepower electric turbine located in the base of the trainer.”
Likewise vacuum is used for systems controlling some instruments. Also there are mechanical systems, electrical systems and electronic systems (operating on 800 cycles). Of special interest is the wind drift mechanism, a very early electro mechanical computer.
LINK C-3 Instrument Flying Trainer
(about 1939). Almost identical to the D-2. many parts were missing, now operational at Best.
LINK ANT-18 or AN-2550-1 Instrument Flying Trainer
(about 1946) found in good condition in Belgium. With roundels of the Belgian Air Force. Almost identical to the C-3; now operational in the Stampe & Vertongen Museum, Antwerp, Belgium.
These three trainers - C-3, D-2, ANT-18 - are Link's second model from 1937. The techniques used were developed by Ed Link and his team on the basis of player piano technology and trial and error. The model D-2 was manufactured for the Royal Air Force in Link's factory in Canada. Its instrument panel differed somewhat from the C-3 which was manufactured for the US Army Air Force. From this C-3 type the ANT-18 (Army Navy Trainer) was developed. This trainer now offered landing gear, propeller pitch and flap control training. All had facilities for radio procedure and radio navigation training. After World War II many trainers were converted into ANT-18's.
LINK C-8 Instrument Flying and Landing Trainer (Ground)
(about 1950) recovered in Belgium. The C-8 (or model F) was developed in 1945 and was based on the Texan or Harvard trainer; it had much more instruments and training possibilities than the previous models. General description from the Operation and Service Instructions C-8:
“The instrument Flying and Landing Trainer, Type C-8, is ground equipment used in teaching all phases of elementary and advanced instrument flying, including radio navigation, radio range and loop orientation, instrument landing systems, voice procedure, and flight and engine instrument familiarization.”
On the trainer some instruction plates in French are fixed; it was obviously used by the Belgian Air Force. At present it is at my home; it is in good condition but not operational. At the moment I have no specific plans for it.
LINK 1CA1 Basic Instrument Trainer
found in Germany, marked “US Naval Air Station Alamede Cal.”. Apart from the altitude system this model is almost exactly like the Link C-8. It was restored by a team of volunteers of the Military Aviation Museum at Soesterberg the Netherlands and now is in the Museum Liberating Wings. It is used for demonstrations.
Fig. 1 Instrument Panel C-8 |
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