Brand new guy just purchased a Sperry S-1 Bombsight

[Pastor]

Hello everyone, I am brand new to this forum. I have always been interested in aviation. My friends are pilots and aviation specialists. I have recently toured an
airshow in which a B-17 and a B-24 were represented. My personal friend helped restore a C-130 and had it on display. Imagine his surprise when I showed him my most recent purchase! I bought a Sperry S-1 Bombsight off Craigslist.

 

[futuredogfight]

Awesome stuff man! Welcome to the asylum too!

W00t!!!!!! 300 posts!!

 

[Pastor]

Thanks, glad to be admitted! This came in the original shipping metal case and there is a manual to go with it. There is an inspection tag with a man's name on it. The nice fella that sold it to me told me his dad bought it out from a government surplus store, and it has been in the case since the fifties. The shipping address on the original metal case is the same as where I picked it up from. The provenance is perfect! Just glad I had the chance!

 

[Conslaw]

Back in the early 1980s, I used to get a catalog of government surplus items. One of the items they had one time was a batch of Norden bombsights for sale dirt cheap. My dad and I talked about getting one and turning it into a coffee table. We both decided that we didn't want to work on that project, and if we got one, it would just collect dust. I'm kind of sorry now we didn't get it.

 

[Pastor]

Yes, this was exciting for me. I have a friend who works on an Air Force Base restoring old aircraft. They just fixed a C-130 for static display. I went on a complete tour, and it was great. Then, while searching Craigslist, I typed ball bearings (because I need a ball bearing drawer tool box)! A man was selling the bombsight so anyone could take the gears, prisms, and ball bearings and make some neat things with the parts. His dad had purchased two, and had made a derrick/crane for him with one back in the fifties. He thought someone might use it for that. I wanted it to get to the people that would enjoy it, display it, and share it with others as a unique part of our history. It's been a great experience.