Tricycle Training(?) for Fighter Directors

I ran into an interesting article written by Barrett Tillman in 1980 published on the Naval Institute's Proceedings page about the training of fighter directors in WWII. In the article he mentions "tricycle training". I'm curious to what exactly that is. (Coaching the Fighters)

Conslaw said:

I ran into an interesting article written by Barrett Tillman in 1980 published on the Naval Institute's Proceedings page about the training of fighter directors in WWII. In the article he mentions "tricycle training". I'm curious to what exactly that is. (Coaching the Fighters)

Click to expand...

The things one learns here.

Let's see what the man himself has to say..... B Barrett

I remember as a kid seeing a TV interview with the actor Michael Hordern who discussed his time training to become a Fighter Direction Officer in WW2. Can't remember what it was on, maybe Parkinson? From Wiki:-

"By 1942 Hordern had been commissioned as an officer and given instruction in radar and the relaying of its data for the direction of fighter planes. He later said "It was suggested that this would be excellent work for me with my strong actor's voice". After his training at Yeovilton he was appointed Fighter Direction Officer on board the aircraft carrier Illustrious.[51]​ Shortly after the departure of his superior, he was promoted to lieutenant-commander, a rank which he held for two years. Alongside his naval responsibilities, he was also appointed as the ship's entertainment officer and was responsible for organising shows featuring members of the crew.[52]​ He was later appointed to the Admiralty to serve in the office of Naval Assistant to the Second Sea Lord, responsible for appointing Fighter Direction Officers. Also in the office was fellow actor Kenneth More.[53]"​

For US developments, see: Information at Sea, Shipboard Command and Control in the U.S. Navy, from Mobile Bay to Okinawa, Timothy S. Wolters, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013. This is a history of communication to and between ships at sea, starting with the Civil War (flags and flares). The last chapter covers the development of the shipboard Combat Information Center (CIC). With the advent of shipboard radar, the Navy opened several schools to train personnel in the use and maintenance of the equipment. They also recognized the need for fighter director officers, and opened two schools to train them. One was in Norfolk and the other was in San Diego. Lieutenant Commander John Hook Griffin ran the San Diego school. In 1941 he had been part of group sent to Britain to observe British methods of fighter direction. So specially designed adult-sized tricycles were used as part of the San Diego training. Students piloted friendly tricycles and instructors operated enemy tricycles. As you can see from the British photo, the friendly tricycles had "blinders" so they couldn't look at the enemy tricycles and modify their intercept.

The link in EwenS #2 covers this in more detail than is in this book.