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Waller Flexible Gunnery Trainer

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gilestaylor
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Waller Flexible Gunnery Trainer

Dear all
 
I am conducting research into the Waller Flexible Gunnery Trainer – a WW2 anti-aircraft gunnery trainer that comprised an enormous, curved cinema screen and dummy guns (and which later became the widescreen process Cinerama). I am writing here in the hope of hearing first-hand stories of what it was like to actually train on these machines. So far, I have been consulting patents and articles by the inventor and it would be great to couple this with information about actual experiences.
 
I'd be especially grateful to hear of first impressions of the trainer (how different was it to other trainers? how effective was it in creating its illusion? did you communicate with an instructor during training sessions?) and also about what the films were like (what did they look like? were they in color? were the images and sounds realistic?).
 
I'd also be very keen to hear whether or not it was the only 'cinema' on base, and if not, what other kinds of cinema were present for either training or entertainment purposes? And does anyone know what happened to the Waller trainers after the war? It seems they were replaced, but why and how?
 
Thanks very much in advance for any forthcoming responses
 
Giles (a PhD student at the University of St Andrews in Scotland) 
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    Hal Bolce
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    Re:Waller Flexible Gunnery Trainer (permalink)
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    Hi,
    I spent a little time with the Waller trainer.  I beleve the huge structure was designed by Mr. Waller, a Hollywod producer who utilized seven cameras to progect 360 degrees around the airplaine.  I was training as a tail gunner on B-29's and the trainer was to be as realistic as possible.
    Sitting in the tail position, you could see the fighter planes taking off from their runway and clime to your altitude.  The plane moved as it would in flight, the sounds and vibraitions were duplcated.
    I believe I trained in the first Waller.  A second trainer was under construction and as the war was about over. the contractor building the 2nd trainer had a contract to take it down at war's end.
    Hal
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    RSwank
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    Re:Waller Flexible Gunnery Trainer (permalink)
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    A couple of links that explain a little bit about the trainer.
    The first article goes into some depth on how the trainer worked.  Many of the diagrams can be enlarged by clicking on them to view.  It is really interesting how the targeting and scoring system worked.  The interaction of mechanical parts, pulleys, levers etc. with the "electronics" and the film  is explained in some detail.
    http://www.in70mm.com/cinerama/archive/gunnery/index.htm
    http://www.in70mm.com/cinerama/archive/war/index.htm
     
     
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    gilestaylor
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    Dear Hal and RSwank, thanks very much for your responses.
     
    RSwank, thanks for the links – I agree, it's really interesting to think how Waller figured the system out. Did you train on the Waller yourself? 
     
    Hal, your impressions are really useful. I had no idea that the films contained so much. Do you remember if the images were in color? And from your tail position were portions of the image obscured by the end point of the tail?
     
    Thanks and best wishes
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