The Ruggles orientator, consisted of a seat mounted within a gimbal ring
assembly which enabled full rotation of the pupil in all three axes and in
addition provided vertical movement. All motions were produced by electric
motors controllable by the simulated sticks and rudder bars of the student and
examiner. This device was stated to be useful for "developing and training the
functions of the semi-circular canals and incidentally to provide such a machine
for training aviators to accustom themselves to any possible position in which
they may be moved by the action of an aeroplane while in flight", it must have
been good fun too :-). A further optimistic claim was that the aviator could be
blindfolded "so that the sense of direction may be sensitized without the
assistance of the visual senses. In this way the aviator when in fog or intense
darkness may be instinctively conscious of his position".
The North American Museum of Flight Simulation Society, Canada
Our Museum is still a dream, but we are moving in the right direction and
will keep you posted on our status. A website is in the making and we are
currently in the process of filing for Charitable status so we can issue tax
receipts (in Canada) for all donations.
Museum Beta Website
The North American Museum of
Flight Simulation invites people of all ages and from all regions to explore the
wonders of flight simulation. It will do this by collecting and displaying
working and static Flight Simulators and their history, showing the
significance—scientific and technical, as well as economic, that simulators have
contributed to the North America and the worlds aviation industry.