# EZ-42 gunsite



## luftwaffemesserschmitt (Mar 20, 2007)

hello,

i have a question for all experts of the luftwaffe airplanes
Will the EZ-42 will help the pilots for better aiming ??
How much better wil it will been then for example a REVI-16B

best regards chris


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## delcyros (Mar 20, 2007)

Since the EZ 42 is a computing gunsight and not just a reflector sight, it will. Esspeccially at long range shots. However, in how far is difficult to say, it would require to quantify the unquantifyable. Probably the opening distances would increase significantly, very valuable in high speed dogfights.


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## Civettone (Mar 20, 2007)

I remember someone saying it was even better than the American K-sight.

What I know is that it still had defects until very late in the war. That makes it difficult to judge the EZ 42.

Kris


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## MAV_406 (Mar 21, 2007)

any one have any pics


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## Tony Williams (Mar 24, 2007)

An extract from Flying Guns – World War 2: Development of Aircraft Guns, Ammunition and Installations 1933-45:

"The Germans were also early experimenters with gyro sights, but were discouraged by technical problems and Luftwaffe indifference. Not until late 1944 did the Askania EZ 42/1-A1 (Einheitszielvorrichtung = standard sighting device), go into production. However, it seems that technical problems had still not been resolved and few saw service, principally in Me 262s, in which it was reported that they were used only as conventional reflector sights."

The US sights were copies of the British GGS (Gyro GunSight). The RAF and USAAF/USN were the only air forces to have an effective gyro sight in WW2.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion forum


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## delcyros (Mar 25, 2007)

According to docs related to the He-162, concerns were expressed regarding the strong inferiority of the He-162 in the gunsight, as the EZ 42 was (beside of two prototypes at JG 1) passed entirely to the -262 program until april 45.
However, this strongly points that the EZ 42 was not only used in a caged mode as a reflector sight by fighter pilots on -262!


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## CharlesBronson (Mar 25, 2007)

> any one have any pics



Here you got it, Askania EZ42 "adler" (eagle) in Me-262.







And btw the right spelling is "gunsight"


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## Kurfürst (Mar 26, 2007)

Tony Williams said:


> An extract from Flying Guns – World War 2: Development of Aircraft Guns, Ammunition and Installations 1933-45:
> 
> "The Germans were also early experimenters with gyro sights, but were discouraged by technical problems and Luftwaffe indifference. Not until late 1944 did the Askania EZ 42/1-A1 (Einheitszielvorrichtung = standard sighting device), go into production. However, it seems that technical problems had still not been resolved and few saw service, principally in Me 262s, in which it was reported that they were used only as conventional reflector sights."
> 
> ...



Re: on deployment - the father of all LW board weapons books, Fritz Hahn notes some 200 were used in FW 190s and Me 262s.

Develepment was ongoing from 1935, the first EZ 40 was presented summer 1941. Hahn also shows some hit % with the standard Revi 12 and EZ 40 sight. At the short, typical battle 25-50% increase was seen against fighters and bombers (it was more pronounced for the non-manouvering latter types), and more at very long ranges. This was understood for the Bf 109F's 2x7.92mm. However, it didn't change a few rules of thumb : effective fire can be only performed at short ranges, long range fire is ineffective with either gunsights.

The EZ 42 was quite successfull : "Reports of pilots showed, that individual attacks could be performed at 20 degrees of deflection. Despite the max. range of the EZ 42 was specified as ca 1000m, there were multiple _Abschüsse_ from 1500 m engagement distance.

Hahn quotes an Allied report comparing the 'American Gyro-gunsight' and the EZ-42. The US version showed up 20% larger errors in the neccessary deflection angle, which already at low angles measured up to 1 degree error (...die selbst bei kleinen Winkeln noch bis zu 1* Fehler betragen haben.)

The EZ 42 was stabilised by two gyroscopes. Apprx. 800 were produced, from July 1944, most were however produced in 1945.


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## Tony Williams (Mar 26, 2007)

It is several years since the "Flying Guns" books were written and I no longer recall the source of my information on the EZ 42, but there is obviously a disagreement among sources...

One point worth bearing in mind is that in addition to their version of the British GGS, the USAAF had a different kind of compensating gunsight, the Sperry, used in bomber turrets. This used a computer rather than a gyroscope to allow for deflection shooting, and was generally regarded as inferior to the gyro types. There could be some confusion among the two in terms of the popular usage of the term "gyro".

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## luftwaffemesserschmitt (Jul 18, 2007)

I know that the EZ-42 was first installed in Fw 190 and Me 109 in some units to get the first combat experience reports with the EZ-42
how many where installed ?
and which units get them ? 
(i was wandering if the sturmfw used then in combat and what there results where ?)


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## Erich (Jul 18, 2007)

the EZ 40/42 was first issued in small numbers to Fw 190A-8 and A-8/R2 pilots of 5.Sturm/JG 300 who noticed a remarkable difference in sighting with high % of concentration of hits in a centerized area - killing area compared to using the older sight.

I have copies of the LW data to be used later for a special something

E


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## luftwaffemesserschmitt (Jul 18, 2007)

thx for jou post Erich cool to now that the sight was working good in combat


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## www.cockpitinstrumente.de (Oct 22, 2007)

Here you can find pictures of the EZ 42 gyroscopic sight and the EZ 4ogyroscopic sight !!!

But onla in german language.

regards

Natascha

klick under REVI !!!!

Luftwaffe Flugzeuge


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## luftwaffemesserschmitt (Oct 23, 2007)

thanks great picktures 
I collect instruments from german warbirds its very very hard to get an origenal EZ-42


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