Dome Trainer

The one at Wyton is still there.

All the info you need about them is here;
http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?1510-AIRFIELD-BUILDING-TYPE-DESIGNS-Concrete-Domes-9277-42-amp-73-42

And on this link
http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?11811-Concrete-Domes-9277-42-amp-73-42

I remember seeing one at Wyton many years ago – not sure if this has survived…..

Hi Goldilocks,

At least two dome trainers still exist, one is at Shoreham (Sussex), the other I know of is at Langham (Norfolk).

Having seen inside the Langham example a few years ago, it still had the two mounting blocks in place, exactly as per your drawing.

Regards
Paul F

Thanks for confirming my thoughts guys. I seem to remember also reading about a smaller 8 metre version.

Goldilocks

The answer is yes.
It is a 40ft AA Dome Trainer with the two concrete blocks supporting a 16mm projector system. This projected the aircraft image onto a gimbal mounted mirror. The mirror then reflected the image of the aircraft onto the inner dome wall. The mirror was moved by cams driven by the same motor as the projector so that the film was synchronised with the movements of the mirror so that the aircraft “flew” around the inside of the dome. AA gunners where trained to use the correct amount of deflection/aim off to allow for the flight time of the shells to reach the aircraft. On the film there was a yellow spot ahead of the aircraft on each frame of the film. This was the future position that the gunner should be aiming at. He would not be able to see this as there was a yellow filter place in front of the sights. On the gun there would be a graticule ring sight projector that projected the image of the sights onto the dome wall. This was aligned precisely with the sight on the gun so that the gunner was unable to see it. Thus an instructor could see when the graticule image on the wall coincided with the yellow future position spot the gunner was using the correct amount of deflection/aim off.
The films were produced by stop frame filming of aircraft models. The system was designed by (later) Lt. Cmmdr. Henry Christian Stephens in 1940 at the Royal Navy Gunnery School, HMS Excellent at Whale Island, Portsmouth. He was assisted by Bernard Happe and FG Gunn of Technicolor Ltd. of Bath Rd., West Drayton.
The system went on to be adopted by the British Army and the RAF.
Frank Phillipson.

Quick answer yes.

http://www.friendsoflanghamdome.org/domehistory.html