Carl norden, developed a gyrostabilized bombsight in 1923 and delivered the mk. The walls are 8 inches thick and the roof is also of reinforced concrete with a tar membrane. Starting in 1932 and proceeding in fits and starts for the next six years, norden developed the stabilized bombing approach equipment. It was designated as standard equipment in march 1941 and was used in some u. Scott baker 2004 says there is one in a glass case at the air force museum at dayton, ohio. This series of films provides a rare look at the operation of the bombsight as it was presented to bombardiers. The 2 norden bombsight no m suffix on the packet is packed into a small clear sleeve that has a foldover card backing for product presentation. The army air corps was able to obtain the norden bombsight an instrument which, along with the fourengine flying fortresses, would revolutionize high level precision bombing. The university of houston s college of engineering presents this series about the machines that make our civilization run, and the people whose ingenuity created them. Army air forces bombers early in world war ii, primarily b24 liberators.
Deconstructing the myth of the norden bombsight on our first day at norden, we were awed and even scared to be in the very building that housed the mysterious, secret, powerful and famous norden bombsight it is a wonderful, superb instrument it has made an unsurpassed contribution toward the winning of this terrible war, and we are. The b17, a high altitude strategic bomber, achieved its accuracy from the secretly developed norden bombsight. Do you have norden bombsight head serial number l9091. Norden m9 bombsight national museum of the united states air. A norden bombsight at the maps air museum in north canton, oh. Norden bombsight at the air heritage museum in beaver. Xv, known as the norden m series in army service, was a bombsight used by the united states army air forces usaaf and the united states navy during world war ii, and the united states air force in the korean and the vietnam wars.
A large part of the bombsight consists of two stabilization gyroscopes. Norden inventor of the classified norden bombsight used in world war i. Another norden bombsight at the quonset air museum in north kingston, ri. The first model was effective only against stationary targets. It was a mechanical analog computer used to determine the exact moment bombs had to be dropped to accurately hit the target. The norden bombsight was largely responsible for the success achieved by the allied bombing campaigns in both the european and pacific theatres during world war ii. In its day, the norden bombsight was the pinnacle of mechanical engineering. Updated tutorial for the norden bombsight with crosstrail information added. Also known as the blue ox, the sight relied on a mechanical computer which helped calculate the bombs trajectory based on flight conditions and. Though it spent years in development, during which time many an american, brit, and german had a look at various stages of it, it ultimately became one of the allies most. World war ii technology that changed warfare scholarsarchive. Sabs was a separate unit, the minor adaptations needed on the bombsight itself produced what the army referred to as the m4 model. Bombsight, norden victor adding machine m9 with x1 reflex.
On the left is a diagram from the bombardiers information file bif, dated 1944 showing the major components. From what i can tell, the vast majority of people simply want to buy something to put on a shelf and point to and say, theres a norden bombsight. Massey air museum has on display a norden bombsight such as would have been used by the bombardier on a b17 bomber and other u. Principles of operation of the norden bombsight wwii training movie 23251 duration. Explosives and wrote a fourhundredpage bombmaking manual. The actual analog computing element called the rate end is the upper right portion. It consists of two pairs of magnets, one pair in the base and the other in the cover, attached to two pairs of crown. Great advances are seldom the products of a single mind. A quarterly newsletter with loads of pictures, four luncheons per year, a dinner dance and dont forget this website. Using the highly accurate norden bomb sight in their b17 flying fortresses, they insisted on carrying out precision daylight attacks on specific military and industrial targets, perhaps heeding eakers warning that we should never allow the history of. Army air forces daylight bombing campaign during world war ii. Bombardiers position in nose of b25 mitchell, norden bombsight in center. The norden bombsight is arguably one of the most important technological advancements to come out of wwii. Bomb manual pdf manuals browse the compatibility documents for system.
Critics called the new policy aiming point cathedral. Chart if you see brackets around a bold and small capital letter word this refers to a soft key press. To the right are five manual controls for altitude and airspeed. A considerable amount of this strategy was based on stopping attempted invasions by sea, both with direct naval power, and starting in the 1930s, with usaac airpower.
Arabic explosive manual translation 2 unclassifiedfor official use only summary this technical document covers a number of important subjects related to chemistry and explosives. A training movie showing how to use the norden bombsight to level bomb from high altitude. The norden bombsight was reported to be so accurate that a bomb could be dropped into a pickle barrel from 30,000 feet. It is translated as is without verification of the content, the scientific formulas, illustration, and figures. Though it spent years in development, during which time many an american, brit, and german had a look at various stages of it, it ultimately became one of the allies most closely. One of a series of classified films made for the army air forces during wwii about the norden bombsight, this film focuses on the principles behind the device. Earlier this year 2008, i had the remarkable privilege of flying in a restored b17g, experiencing takeoff from the bombardiers position with a norden bombsight before me. Original vector bombsight technology relied on a bomber being able to make a clean, long run towards the target, with minimal weather conditio. These systems consisted of a slide ruletype calculator that was used to calculate the effects of the wind on the bomber based on simple vector arithmetic. These systems consisted of a slide ruletype calculator that was used to calculate the effects of the wind on the bomber based on. Compendiums in pdfformat full of pictures and illustrations in addition.
The sperry gyroscopes spun at 24,000 rpm, compared to the norden gyros which ran at approximately 8,000 rpm. The first bombsight accepted by the government was the sperry s1 that was developed in the 1930s. It turns out that the famous norden bombsight was not only u. Victor 4120, an m9b, is the sight that was used by tom ferebee to drop the first atomic bomb on hiroshima on august 6th, 1945. There is lots of good reference material on the web, including this great site about for bombsights we are fortunate to have a complete norden bombsight with the optional x1 reflex sight. B29s with norden bombsights dropped the atomic bombs on japan in 1945. The site would also be used by the us air froce during the korean and vietnam wars to help drop bombs accurately. Norden bombsights by moore quality norden bombsight.
Operational during the vietnam war, this unique naval unit implanted electronic sensors along the famous ho chi minh trail in laos and vietnam. The bombsight highly increased accuracy for bombardiers. Menu if you see brackets around a bold and capital letter word this refers to a key press. View and download raytheon 611est operation manual online. Antonie van leeuwenhoek, a dutch draper in the seventeenth century was working in his fathers. Norden actively attempted to make the bombsight incompatible with the a5, and it was not until 1942 that the impasse was finally solved by farming out autopilot production to honeywell regulator, who combined features of the norden mounted sbae with the aircraftmounted a5 to produce what the u. The telescope for the bombsight is toward the upper center of the bombsight. Comes with power supply, connectorswitch box, service manual, custom stand, video for simulations, and more. The americans scornfully referred to it as potato farming or agricultural bombing. The norden bombsight was one of the most important u. The norden bombsight was developed during a period of united states noninterventionism when the dominant u. Norden bomb sight article about norden bomb sight by the. His idea was to remove the manual electrical switches used to move the pointer and use the entire.
Equipped with a correctly calibrated norden bombsight, a highflying plane leveled in smooth air could put a bomb precisely on a target below. A bombsight is a device that is used to drop bombs accurately from aircraft, and the norden bombsight was perhaps one of the few scientific instruments, along with radar, ever credited with playing such a large role in the allied victory in ww ii. While, under good conditions, it was a significant improvement over previous devices, it did not come close to the accuracy of more modern aiming systems with digital electronics, and, of course no combination of dumb bombs and bombsight could maintain the continuous correction of precision guided munitions. Typical bombsights of the prewar era worked on the vector bombsight principle introduced with the world war i course setting bomb sight. Sperry as the norden bombsight helped write world war iis aviation history, the lessknown sperry technology pioneered avionics for allweather flying contrary to conventional wisdom, carl l. Bombsight, norden victor adding machine m9 with x1. If they were not, the telescope had to be manually adjusted until they were. A bombsight is a device used by military aircraft to drop bombs accurately. It had several distinctions from the norden, and some advantages. This rorm is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. Over 200 of us from all over the country are enjoying the club benifits.
It has a very slightly sloping shedroof and one door on the main facade. Highly classified, it gave american forces bombing accuracy unmatched by any other nation at the time. Links are also given for websites that have norden reference. One of a series of classified films made for training by the army air forces during wwii, this film about the norden bombsight focuses on the. Even today people still marvel at the super secret norden bombsight.
The norden consisted of a gyroscopically stabilized telescopic sight paired with an electromechanical computer where flight conditions were inputted. Norden bombsight home about us contact us donate newsletters 8th afhs links faq facebook search personnel aircraft nose art b17 thunderbird ground support uniforms journals more info mission reports combat crews individual photos photos pow kia macr overseas graves taps click photos for a larger view norden bombsight at the mighty eighth air force heritage museum, pooler. Efm, llc is not liable for the accuracy, effectiveness or safe use of any aircraft manual or publication and does not warrant that any aircraft manual or publication contains current revisions. Most air forces of the era invested heavily in dive. Original norden bombsight used on enola gay for atom bomb drop on hiroshima august 1945, see accession memo for details. Bomb manual pdf bomb manual pdf bomb manual pdf download.
This sight is presently installed in the nose of the most famous b29. General setup when a words is in bold capital letters and underlined, this refers to a menu. In 1937 the army, faced with the continuing supply problems with the norden, once again turned to sperry gyroscope to see if they could come up with a solution. Norden bombsight article about norden bombsight by the free.
The norden bombsight was created and used by the united states army air forces usaaf and the united states navy during ww 2. The norden was able to determine, from variables input by the bombardier, the point at which the aircrafts bombs should be released to hit the target. Norden bombsight boeing b 17 flying fortress military. The norden bombsight was crucial to the success of the u. Unfollow norden bombsight to stop getting updates on your ebay feed.
This also includes a few images of the product, with relation to removing the stabiliserautopilot unit from the casting block. The sperry s1 bombsight was designed by elmer sperry, carl norden s former employer. Xv, known as the norden m series in army service, was a bombsight used by the united states army air forces usaaf and the united states navy during world war ii, and the united states air force in the korean and the. Hoax mary brown was chosen to donate her hair to become. By mid1943, a year after the aaf began bombing german industries, it had become evident to all but the most devoted advocates of highaltitude daylight precision bombing that the actualization of this doctrine did not even come close to the prewar boast that bombers with the norden bombsight could place a 250pound bomb into a pickle barrel from 20,000 feet. It is not very difficult to hit a target from an altitude of 30,000 feet. Compendiums in pdf format full of pictures and illustrations in addition. It was so advanced that crew members had to take an oath to protect its secrecy with their lives. The norden bombsight was a tachometric bombsight used by the united states army air forces usaaf and the united states navy during world war ii, and the united states air force in the korean and the vietnam wars to aid the crew of bomber aircraft in dropping bombs accurately. Bombsights, a feature of combat aircraft since world war i, were first found on purposedesigned bomber aircraft and then moved to fighterbombers and modern tactical aircraft as those aircraft took up the brunt of the bombing role. Norden bombsight history autopilot, production problems. Even though carl lucas norden had built a prototype and was developing his bombsight well before, it was its use during wwii which made it famous.
Wwii norden bombsight at the wings of eagles museum in horseheads, ny. The norden bombsight was a complex, 2000piece mechanical computer. Different sellers and buyers will place a premium on such things as cosmetic appearance, bombsight history, the x1 reflex head, and so forth. The navys observation squadron sixtyseven vo67 had the distinction of being the last military air squadron, of any service, to employ the norden bombsight in actual combat use. Deconstructing the myth of the norden bombsight by michael.
The secondgeneration norden bombsight vault at the former mccook army air field is a small rectangular structure, onestory in height, 11 feet wide and feet deep. In 1921 the us navy drafted specifications for a bombsight that would allow bombing from high altitude. The drag on a bomb for a given air density and angle of attack is proportional to the relative air speed squared. Jul 26, 2018 the norden bombsight was created and used by the united states army air forces usaaf and the united states navy during ww 2.
Norden bombsight americas secret weapon in wwii the. As the norden bombsight helped write world war iis aviation history. Guaranteed to work, with a 90day warranty and lifetime product support. The norden bombsight was deployed on b17, b24, b25, and a26 aircraft in european the pacific theaters in wwii. In practice, it was found that the pilots had a very difficult time keeping the aircraft stable enough to match the accuracy of the bombsight. One out of every 10 norden bombsights produced was taken to a test facility for quality control and calibration. Navy, the army air corps acquired its first norden bombsight in 1932. Xvs were initially installed with the same automatic pdi as the earlier mk.
Deconstructing the myth of the norden bombsight on our first day at norden, we were awed and even scared to be in the very building that housed the mysterious, secret, powerful and famous norden bombsight it is a wonderful, superb instrument it has made an unsurpassed contribution toward the. It also could function as a training in that it describes how to set the various functions on the bombsight for use in action. Strategic bombing in world war two is both a guide to understanding the data of the. It was surrounded by charges so that it could be destroyed should the enemy attempt to seize it. This bombsight was sold on ebay around 2005 and we helped the owner with information about the sight. Norden bombsight description and operation background. If you have this norden bombsight, serial number l9091 please contact me as i would like to share some more information about your sight. In fact this is the probably the most famous norden bomb sight of them all. Weapon bombardiers took an oath to guard the norden bombsight with their lives to ensure it didnt fall into enemy hands, but the secret was already out by c. August 2005 q r stottlem says back in 1993 i learned that the u s.
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