Project Whirlwind begins

Project Whirlwind begins

During World War II, the US Navy approached the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) about building a flight simulator to train bomber crews. The team first builds a large analog computer, but found it inaccurate and inflexible. After designers saw a demonstration of the ENIAC computer, they decided instead on using a digital approach, while the project slowly changed from a flight simulator to an air defense system. By the time Whirlwind was completed in 1951, the Navy had lost interest in the project, though the US. Air Force eventually supported “Whirlwind II,” a new air defense computer to be used as part of the SAGE continental air defense system.