Grope trainer

[HughAHalliday]

Notwithstanding that the name resulted in some bawdy remarks, the Grope Trainer appears to have been a ground-based training device - a sort of Link Trainer for navigators. I have noted references to it as being used in training RCAF torpedo bomber crews at No.32 OTU (Patricia Bay) and have no doubt that it was much used by the RAF in Britain.

I would like to confirm whether the Grope Trainer was used beyond Coastal Command. Moreover, I am curious as to how it acquired its name. Did some poor soul actually have the name "Grope" ? Was it a company name ? An anacronym ?

[dennis_burke]

From a letter published in Flight in 1950:

Although there was considerable delay before my ideas were accepted, the first of the synthetic navigational flight-trainers was installed by my company and was in operation in a R.A.F. operational training unit during the summer of 1940. The R.A.F. Trainer Type 3 (or Rediffusion C.100) was fully described in Air Publication 1186B in May, 1942. The complete
installation became known as the " gropes room " and was the forerunner of many synthetic flight trainers introduced by ourselves and others._

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1950/1950%20-%200262.html?search=gropes room

Try this Google books link also:
http://books.google.com/books?id=jzzl8wUn52cC&pg=PA167&dq=%22Gropes+traine r%22&hl=en&ei=M3gsTOudBdfgsAafjpWlAg&sa=X&oi=book_ result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAQ#v=onepag e&q&f=false

Or google books for Grope trainer

Grope - Ground Operational Exersize

[dennis_burke]

AIR 10 Ministry of Defence and predecessors: Air Publications and Reports
ADMINISTRATION AND TRAINING (Code No 1)
TRAINING: FLYING TRAINING (Code No 1/6)
Scope and content Crew Procedure Trainer (Grope)
Covering dates 1945
Former reference (Department) AP No. 2655D Vol I & II Part I

[Theletterwriter]

Hugh

If you type Grope into the Search function, you will see a thread I started a few months ago titled "Ladies & Gentleman ...." where Grope is discussed.

Douglas