Dear all
I was pretty certain that these things were gunnery trainers….
http://www.flickr.com/photos/trevira/228149237
They’re not “astrodomes”, I didn’t think they were for link trainers.
I’ve had my copy of Bomber Command airfields Then And Now out and they didn’t photograph one example for that book (there’s a good one at Wyton). The excellent “Round The Clock” has a picture of the one at Langham, but only describes it as a training building.
Can anyone provide any proof either way?
By: Paul F - 4th January 2008 at 12:37
Dome trainers
An example of a Dome trainer building still exists on the northern edge of Shoreham airfield, and looks to be in reasonable exterior condition. I think it is used for storage?
There is (was?) also one at Langham, Norfolk, too a few years ago. The interior was visible through a few holes in the door – the interior showed signs of moisture damage – the usual concrete “stalactites” and mould, and IIRC the central mounting plinth for the sighting apparatus was still present in the centre of the floor.
Paul F
By: cdp206 - 4th January 2008 at 11:21
There is also a very good description of Dome Trainers and their use in David Smith’s “Britain’s Military Airfields 1939-45”, pp92-93 (in the edition I have, published in 1989) (ISBN 1-85260-038-1).
It would appear they were originally designed as AA Gun trainers, teaching the art of deflection-shooting. They were also used as trainers for air gunners, using many of the techniques, including projecting the “target” onto the curved walls for gunners to shoot at. Dome Trainers were also used for astro-navigation. However, you would have to look at the record site plan for the station(s) in question to properly identify them. David is, I believe, a member of these forums so he’ll be able to flesh things out.
Link Trainer buildings looked very much like any other airfield building and usually contained one or two Link Trainers. Here’s a photo from my own web site of a Link Trainer building on the Instructional Site at RAF Darley Moor, Derbyshire: http://airfieldarchaeology.fotopic.net/p23705264.html
Chris
By: Slummer - 4th January 2008 at 09:18
Thanks for the answers.
I think it’s a fair statement to say that the purpose of these domes has been neglected historically.
By: Jon H - 4th January 2008 at 09:06
For comparison this picture of RAF Burtonwood has a similar structure labelled as a Link Trainer –
http://www.rafburtonwood.org/jcpic14.jpg
Jon
By: MarkG - 3rd January 2008 at 23:19
You’re right, they were gunnery trainers known as “Dome Trainers”.
In this case, RAF Pembrey (where this picture was taken) had two Link Trainers but these were housed in a pair of small sheds about 50 yards beyond the location of the dome in the photo towards the leftmost hangar in the background.
As I understand it the trainee gunner was seated in the centre of the Dome Trainer with his ‘gun’ controls. Images of moving aircraft were projected onto the inside of the dome for the gunner to practice tracking.
By: Arabella-Cox - 3rd January 2008 at 23:18
My guess, based on info in the ‘British Military Airfield Architecture’ book by Paul Francis, I’d say it was an anti-aircraft gunnery trainer. The aircraft was projected onto the dome by hand and the shell burst appeared on the dome when the trigger was pressed.
See page 166 of the above book for full details. ISBN 1 85260 462 x
Steve
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January 3, 2008 at 9:56 pm