Did RAF use Norden bombsight?
In practice, it demonstrated accuracy roughly equal to the Norden’s. It equipped the majority of the RAF bomber fleet during the second half of the war; small numbers of the Stabilized Automatic Bomb Sight and Low Level Bombsight, Mark III were used in specialist roles.
What is a Norden bombsight worth?
The Norden bombsight, one of the United States’ most secret weapons during World War II, is now being sold by a mail‐order house for $24.50. Twenty years ago, when it was used during the massive bombing raids on Germany and later in the atomic attacks on Japan, Norden bombsights were worth about $25,000 each.
Was the Norden bombsight accurate?
Despite being highly sophisticated, the bombsight was not as accurate as reported. Even though Army Air Forces information officers claimed the bombsight could “drop a bomb into a pickle barrel from 30,000 feet,” reality told a different story, according to Avers Don Sherman, a writer who studied the Norden saga.
What did the Norden bombsight do?
During prewar testing the Norden demonstrated a circular error probable (CEP) of 75 feet (23 m), an astonishing performance for that period. This precision would enable direct attacks on ships, factories, and other point targets. Both the Navy and the USAAF saw it as a means to conduct successful high-altitude bombing.
Who manufactured the Norden bombsight?
the Boeing Company
The U.S. Army Air Forces would continue to use some Sperry S-1 sights during the war. The Air Corps ordered the Norden for its new long-range, four-engine bomber, built by the Boeing Company in 1935 as the Model 299 and designated the YB-17.
Who built the Norden bombsight?
Carl Norden
The Norden bombsight was crucial to the success of the U.S. Army Air Forces’ daylight bombing campaign during World War II. Initially developed by Carl Norden for the U.S. Navy, the Army Air Corps acquired its first Norden bombsight in 1932.
What invention during WWII greatly increased bombing accuracy?
Therefore, the air forces turned to area bombardment, which killed civilians. Since the War, the development and adoption of guided munitions has greatly increased the accuracy of aerial bombing.
What did a bombardier do in ww2?
The bombardier’s job was quite obvious, get the bombs on the target. On a bombing mission, the pilots would get the aircraft to their assigned bombing area. Once the bomb run was reached, the pilot engaged autopilot and notify the bombardier.
Was the Norden bombsight a failure?
The actual performance of the Norden in combat was good some of the time, but rarely great, and often terrible. Several studies revealed that as few as 5 percent of Eighth Air Force bombs fell within 1,000 feet of the target and the average error for 500-pound bombs dropped in Europe was a whopping 1,673 feet.
How does a bombsight work?
A bombsight has to estimate the path the bomb will take after release from the aircraft. The two primary forces during its fall are gravity and air drag, which make the path of the bomb through the air roughly parabolic.
What altitude did B-17 fly at?
Technical Specifications
| First flight | July 28, 1935 (prototype) |
|---|---|
| Range (max.) | 3,750 miles |
| Ceiling | 35,600 feet |
| Power | Four 1,200-horsepower Wright R-1820-97 engines |
| Accommodation | 2 pilots, bombardier, navigator, radio-operator, 5 gunners |
What is a Mark XIV bomb sight?
The Mark XIV Bomb Sight was a bombsight developed by Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command during the Second World War. It was also known as the Blackett sight after its primary inventor, P. M. S. Blackett.
How many Mk XII bombsight were made?
The new Mk. XII bombsight was first tested in September and October 1940 and by the end of October, 20 examples had been built. A slightly improved version, the Mk. XIII was designed but not put into production.
What happened to the Mk XIV bomber?
Optical bombing gave way to radar bombing, and the Mk. XIV was withdrawn from RAF service in 1965. The Mk. XIV consisted of two independent parts, the sighting head and the computor. The sighting head was located in the bomb aimer’s window at the front of the aircraft.
Where is the Mk XIV computor on a plane?
The Mk. XIVA computor, normally mounted on the left side of the forward fuselage. The wind speed and direction are set on the blue dials, the bomb’s terminal velocity and the target altitude on the green dials. The Mark XIV Bomb Sight was a bombsight developed by Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command during the Second World War.