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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 0279.PDF
FEBRUARY I, 1940 primary effects of the three flyingcontrols. For the next lesson the joystick is held centrally by a spider of rubber cord, with the machine being free to move in all directions. With the Trainer in this condition the pupil is shown how, despite the fact that the stick is locked, the nose is depressed and a turn made to the right or left by the use of the rudder only. The elastic spider is then removed, and co- oidination of the three controls is practised. Gradually the pupil is able to do medium turns, climbing and gliding turns, and to finish facing in a desired direction or on a compass bearing given by the instructor. In the later stages of this practice, bumps are introduced as an added corn- plication. Spinning and recovery occupy the IOI "Flight" vHotoaravhi Above. The sergeant instructor goes over theinstrument panel with a pupil. At the rear of the fuselage is an external coupled joy-stickwhich is used for demonstration by the instruc- tor. Right. A close up of the Link cockpitshowing the very complete instrument equipment. next session, the Trainer reacting to the apparent loss of flying speed in exactly the same manner as an ordinary aeroplane, except that—for mechanical reasons—the spin is of the flat variety. Nevertheless, the normal flying position cannot be regained until auto-rotation has ceased and sufficient speed is showing again on the A.S.I. At about the same stage in the training period, the effects of icing are demonstrated. The closing of a valve shuts off the pressure to the air speed indicator, and at the same time puts the stalling speed up by some 10 m.p.h. The pupil is then apparently flying a machine which has little speed range and no speed in- dicator. All flying must be gauged by the engine revolution indicator, the visual horizon and /or the Sperry artificial horizon. He is then told that better conditions usually exist higher up, and lit has to climb gingerly with the little " Flight " photograph. Reactions are smartened up by special drillgames. This one is called " Boat Race." excess of power he has in hand. If the bumps are "turned on" at the same time, this test requires the art of a Houdini. Altogether, a pupil spends some eight hours in the Link "Visual" Trainer. The final sessions are devoted to such subjects as taxy- ing, blind flying and the compass. Even Lorenz instruments are fitted for elementary practice. The instructors claim that they can pick out the '' bowler hats '' from these tests, but a man is not "failed" on Link results. He is sent on to a flying training school with the remainder of his term, but more often than not the pupils show up good or bad in much the same ratio as they appeared in this pre-ab initio flying. The advantages accruing from the use of the Visual Link Trainer are obvious. It clips several hours off the real ab initio flying train- ing, since the pupil starts with " hands " which, if not quite equal to the control of a Spitfire, have at least got well past the '' white- knuckle " stage. The saving of petrol for more advanced training may not be terrific, but the saving is made and in wartime every little helps.
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