WWII anti-aircraft simulator in Norfolk, England

[OldAirmail]

I've seen pictures of WWII AA trainers before, but I believe that this one falls into the "video simulator" category.

The Secret of Langham Dome Trainer

[Shadowcaster]

Thanks for posting that, really enjoyed it, an incredible bit of ingenuity.

Cheers
Rich

[Hagar]

There's a few of these still around. We have one at Shoreham Airport. After the end of WWII it was used for a while as the HQ for my ATC (Air Training Corps) Squadron. When Beagle Aircraft Ltd was formed at Shoreham in the early 1960s they used it for storage . The prototype Beagle M.218 was destroyed when vandals set light to it one night. Here's a photo of the one & only example of this pretty little aircraft. http://austerhg.org/gallery3/Beagle-1188178517/B218/G-ASCK-BEAGLE-M218-3

The gunnery dome has since been restored externally & can be seen in some of my photos taken at the airport. This one from the RAFA show in 2012.

[Shadowcaster]

The prototype Beagle M.218 was destroyed when vandals set light to it one night. Here's a photo of the one & only example of this pretty little aircraft. http://austerhg.org/gallery3/Beagle-1188178517/B218/G-ASCK-BEAGLE-M218-3

Shame that never went into production, it looked very nice and with great all round vision it could have been a winner.

Cheers
Rich

[Flying Trucker]

Good morning all...

Nice bit of information...very interesting...

Doug...were they sure it was vandals or perhaps a rival company

There must have been Plans and Diagrams about...wonder why it was not rebuilt

[Hagar]

Good morning all...

Nice bit of information...very interesting...

Doug...were they sure it was vandals or perhaps a rival company

There must have been Plans and Diagrams about...wonder why it was not rebuilt

Yes, it was vandals Doug. There weren't many rival companies around at the time. (Beagle Aircraft Ltd was formed from the two major British GA manufacturers F.G Miles Ltd & Auster Aircraft.) The M.218 was designed by George Miles (the famous aircraft designer) & before its time using a lot of composite materials before they had been properly tested. The project had been abandoned before it was destroyed in that fire.

The fact that it wasn't supported by the management was one of the reasons George Miles resigned from Beagle Aircraft & set up on his own as Miles Aviation and Transport (R & D) Ltd at Ford Aerodrome. My Father-in-Law & Brother-in-Law went with him. One of their projects was the design & construction of the Bristol Boxkite replica for the film "Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines" which is now owned by the Shuttleworth Collection & still flown regularly at air displays.


Miles also built two full-sized S.E.5a replicas for the film "The Blue Max". This is one example https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Aircraft_Factory_S.E.5#/media/File:RAF_SE5A_REplica_EI-ARA_A4850_Baldonnel_29.07.67_edited-2.jpg

[Jean Loup]

...Miles also built two full-sized S.E.5a replicas for the film "The Blue Max". This is one example https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Aircraft_Factory_S.E.5#/media/File:RAF_SE5A_REplica_EI-ARA_A4850_Baldonnel_29.07.67_edited-2.jpg

HEY!! Look at that Mini in the background behind the SE5A replica!! I enjoyed that Blue Max movie, the filming & flying was superb (maybe the script lacked a little, or George Peppard portrayal was less than convincing). Funny to watch the Desert Fox in the Great War, though

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2qwALDadpI[/youtube]

[OldAirmail]

Man, those were REALLY great planes flown by the toughest of men!!!


Move to 35 seconds - "Grabbing for glory, four miles up above the thunder of no-mans land...."

Four miles up = 21,120 feet / 6,437 meters.

S.E.5a Service ceiling: 17,000 ft (5,185 m)


Not that it matters, I used to watch all the old flying movies, realistic or not.

[Jean Loup]

...Not that it matters, I used to watch all the old flying movies, realistic or not.

Hello OldAirmail, maybe you watched one from the late 30's/early 40's, I can't remember the name (so I can't find it with the "free online" routine!!). At the begining there is a scene landing in a Pitcairn Autogiro, the wealthy father of Bette Davis (playing a spoiled bratt, what else!) and there are flying scenes in a Staggerwing with James Cagney (a no money stunt pilot) arguing with bette Davis, until they did an emergency landing in the middle of nowhere, in the desert. I also remember a scene where they put avgas in a derelict model T, and that thing almost flew over the desert with so much octane, until it blew a gasket.

[Flacke]

...Not that it matters, I used to watch all the old flying movies, realistic or not.

Hello OldAirmail, maybe you watched one from the late 30's/early 40's, I can't remember the name (so I can't find it with the "free online" routine!!). At the begining there is a scene landing in a Pitcairn Autogiro, the wealthy father of Bette Davis (playing a spoiled bratt, what else!) and there are flying scenes in a Staggerwing with James Cagney (a no money stunt pilot) arguing with bette Davis, until they did an emergency landing in the middle of nowhere, in the desert. I also remember a scene where they put avgas in a derelict model T, and that thing almost flew over the desert with so much octane, until it blew a gasket.

Hello Jean Loup, that movie plays occasionally on "Turner Classic Movies" channel and I watch it every time due to the aircraft content. Its called "The Bride Came C.O.D." The main airplane was a Bellanca and it came down in the desert.