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The Link Trainer holds a significant place in aviation history. It was the first true flight simulator, and provided safe training to hundreds of thousands of student pilots during the 1930s and 40s. Using the skills gained working at his father's piano and organ factory, and his own flying experience, Edwin Link designed and built his "pilot trainer" which was patented in 1931. It provided a realistic depiction of flight, and was especially useful in teaching instrument flying. The Link Trainer came into widespread use during the Second World War, with thousands being built for the American, British and Commonwealth air forces. It was a technological marvel at the time of its invention, and its legacy can be seen in modern flight simulators. This model builds into an accurate and detailed 1/24 scale replica of a World War II-era Link Trainer in US Army Air Corps markings.
Click here to see photos of the finished model. Note to webmasters! If you want to offer this kit on your site, please read this first.
To print your own model You will need a colour printer capable of handling card or cover stock to print the parts sheets. 67 lb cover stock (approx 8.5 thousandths of an inch or 0.2 mm thick) is recommended. The parts and instructions are in Adobe PDF format, and have been compressed into ZIP files for faster transfer. They should work on any Windows, Macintosh, OS/2 or Unix/Linux computer. You will need Adobe's Acrobat Reader and an un-ZIP program. If files are unavailable or slow to download, try at a different time of day, when the file servers may be less busy. Primary site: Follow this link to download the instruction and parts files.
Secondary site: If you have trouble downloading files using the above link, you can try getting them from another site.
To purchase a pre-printed model The model may be purchased as a pre-printed kit from Paper Models International for those who want high quality laser-printed parts sheets without the bother of downloading and printing. Go to the pre-printed models page for more details.
Related links The Link Trainer - From the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a comprehensive history featuring a cutaway diagram of the trainer and a biography of Edwin Link. This is a PDF file (size approx. 1.7 Mb), not a web page. USAF Museum - Check out the trainer exhibit if you're visiting the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio.
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Last updated on December 6, 2005 Copyright 2001-2005 by Ralph Currell |
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