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Summary - not yet available

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST10NW/41/33

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MILITARY TRAINING SITE (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV104688.

Francis, p. /blackdown hills airfield survey/(1995)/dunkeswell: 36.

Francis, P., 1995, Blackdown Hills Airfield Survey. Dunkeswell and Upottery., 37 (Report - Survey). SDV312951.

Air ministry laboratory bombing (aml) teacher. Construction: rendered nine inch brick, concrete landing and floor, steel trusses carrying corrugated asbestos sheeting. Function: training of bomb aimers in the use of an aircraft bomb sight in a simulation of operational flying. Inside the aml building, the ground floor area within an 18ft. Diameter circle was painted white, while the remaining floor and walls were painted matt black. Stairs led up to a 'l'-shaped landing which, when fitted out with the bomb aimer's equipment, represented the fuselage of the aircraft. The "pilot" sat with a rudder bar connected to a "controlling mechanism" projector fixed at a certain height above a square hole in the projection floor above. This allowed the moving image seen on the ground floor to be at the correct scale. The image showed a representation of the "ground" as would be seen from an aircraft and its direction was controlled by the "pilot" on receiving instructions from the "bomb aimer". A one inch diameter circle was marked on the floor of the screen and represented the "trail point" concentric circles were drawn around the trail point so that bombing errors could be worked out. An apparent effect of flight was obtained by the movement of the projected image in any direction. The idea was that the "fuselage" was fixed and the "ground" moved relative to it. The "pilot" regularly altered course upon receipt of instructions from the "bomb aimer" who calculated wind direction and strength as if on a real mission. After he had sighted on the target, and if the bomb sight had been correctly set, the target would travel from his line of sight to the trail point in the same time as the fall of the "bomb". The selection of the bomb release set in operation a timing mechanism, and as the "bomb" fell along the theoretical trail line, after a period equal to the time taken for the fall of the "bomb", the apparatus stopped. At this point the target should be inside the trail point (at the moment of the "explosion"). Any discrepancy between the two showed the amount of error of the "bomb aimer" and the exercise was complete. The projecting motor room/landing has been removed as has the boiler room annexe. The building is not used. The fabric appears to be in excellent condition and has been recently painted (francis).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4948 - Blackdown Hills Airfield Survey

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