Jul 10, 2022 21:00:00

World War II era flight simulator 'Blue Box' powered by air

In recent years, driving simulator training has been conducted at automobile schools, and you can experience full-scale flight simulation on home video game machines with '

Microsoft Flight Simulator '. However, at the time of World War II, when battles using airplanes were being carried out in earnest, there was no electronic control technology as in recent years, and flight simulators that used the 'power of air' were widely used. Was there. Mr. Tom Scott of YouTuber has released the state when he got into such a flight simulator of the WWII era.

A working flight simulator, no computers necessary --YouTube


To the left of Mr. Scott in a red shirt is the flight simulator 'Link Trainer' that was used for pilot training during World War II.

Link trainers were shipped all over the world, but the link trainers used in the United States were painted blue, so they were nicknamed 'Blue Box'. The tail wing is painted in red and white stripes in the style of the American flag.

Mr. Scott boarding the blue box.

A large number of instruments are built into the front of the seat. When you turn on the engine ignition switch located at the bottom right ...

The light installed inside the aircraft turned on.

By moving the control lever installed in front of the seat, it is possible to simulate the turning operation of an airplane.

Edwin Link, who developed the blue box, was born into a family that runs an organ manufacturing company, and learned about the design of

bellows that blows air from his father to the organ. The bellows technology cultivated in organ manufacturing is applied to the blue box, and the electric pump is driven according to the operation of the control lever to change the attitude of the aircraft.

At the time of World War II, it was a time when the flight rules of airplanes changed from the visual flight rules, which emphasize

visual information, to the instrument flight rules, which rely on the values indicated by the instruments and the instructions of the operator. For this reason, blue box flight training is conducted with the top lid closed, and trainees must rely on the light of the lights to read and maneuver the instrument.

Scott is about to fly straight, but from the outside you can see that he is in a turning orbit.

Scott was surprised to find that he wasn't flying straight after opening the top lid. Flying with the help of instruments seems to be quite difficult.

There is an instructor's seat next to the Blue Box aircraft ...

The instructor sitting in the instructor's seat and the trainee in the blue box can communicate by voice.

In addition, maps and instruments were prepared in the instructor's seat, and it was possible to give instructions to the pilot and change the direction and assumed altitude of the blue box as in the actual flight.

By using a flight simulator such as the blue box, the pilot was able to learn how to fly using instruments before the actual flight.