Here is a copy of a flyer we used following WWII when appearing on a panel etc
Norden Bombsight
- Thread starter billrunnels
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airminded88
Airman 1st Class
Amazing peace of memorabilia Bill.
Were those flyers made in the 90's?
I see the "50th Anniversary of WWII" stamped on them.
- Thread starter
- #3
They were published in 1995 by the Minnesota Chapter of the 8th Air Force Historical Society which was founded in 1983. I served on the original Board of Directors.
airminded88
Airman 1st Class
The Norden sight was a superb instrument, there were other sights that could match it in the real world of operational bombing, but not theoretically. It and it's associated systems were however very, very complicated.
It was difficult to manufacture to the standard required (which is why many, later, sub-contracted sights were not capable of the accuracy of the original Norden built sights). In December 1943 Wright Field tested 200 M-9 Norden bomb sights, manufactured by Norden, Remington Rand, Borroughs, Lukas-Harold and Victor, finding them "...to be inferior to those sights which were being produced about two years ago".
The first 600 sights produced by Victor were recalled, but Norden got the blame for providing "incomplete, inaccurate and obsolete" engineering data.
Colonel R.E. Jarman, technical executive of the Armament Laboratory at Wright Field expressed his frustration with the Norden Company when he wrote
"...if I ever enter the Norden factory again and deal with their high executive personnel, it will be too soon."
Something else, often overlooked, is just how difficult the sight was to maintain. The training of personnel to look after and maintain the sights once in service was something of a debacle, particularly for the Army.
Cheers
Steve
It was difficult to manufacture to the standard required (which is why many, later, sub-contracted sights were not capable of the accuracy of the original Norden built sights). In December 1943 Wright Field tested 200 M-9 Norden bomb sights, manufactured by Norden, Remington Rand, Borroughs, Lukas-Harold and Victor, finding them "...to be inferior to those sights which were being produced about two years ago".
The first 600 sights produced by Victor were recalled, but Norden got the blame for providing "incomplete, inaccurate and obsolete" engineering data.
Colonel R.E. Jarman, technical executive of the Armament Laboratory at Wright Field expressed his frustration with the Norden Company when he wrote
"...if I ever enter the Norden factory again and deal with their high executive personnel, it will be too soon."
Something else, often overlooked, is just how difficult the sight was to maintain. The training of personnel to look after and maintain the sights once in service was something of a debacle, particularly for the Army.
Cheers
Steve
- Thread starter
- #6
I
They were just as good as the people who used them. It took a good pilot to hold a steady altitude and indicated air speed of 150 mph and a good bombardier who did the correct calculations for the bombsight and could control flight on the bomb run.
airminded88
Airman 1st Class
airminded88
Airman 1st Class
Couldn't agree more with you there Bill.
After bombs away, what was the type of maneuvering that bombers took to get away from the target area?
Over the years I have come to the perception that after hoping slightly, lightened by the departure of the bombload, the bombers would enter a tight turn to left and proceed to pierce their way out of enemy airspace.
Cheers
- Thread starter
- #9
After bombs away the pilot took over control and made a gradual formation turn right or left to clear the flak area. The turn began while the bomb bay doors were closing.
Hansie Bloeckmann
Senior Airman
Was is a true story about hair from a famous actress (Rita Hayworth maybe) being used for the crosshairs in this instrument?
I've never heard that story.
Given the number of sights produced I rather doubt it. Also the thickness of the material was a factor in accuracy and had to be constant. The cross hair width could give a 10' error for an M-33 bomb dropped from 25,000'
Cheers
Steve
- Thread starter
- #12
I have no idea. It would make for a good publicity stunt and probably sharpen the sighting
Tim Moore
Airman
That story has been pretty well debunked. The most popular version is that a lady named Mary Babnik Brown had blonde hair that had never been treated with chemicals or a curling iron, and was the only hair suitable for the crosshairs. In fact, that story was so pervasive that President Reagan sent her a thank-you letter on her 80th birthday. There is even an entire Wikipedia page on her and the myth. The other tale told is that black widow spider web was used. All of this is complete bunk. Try and imagine one woman's hair supplying 90,000 Norden bombsights. The only grain of truth is that there was some interest by the War Department in using women's hair in devices.
I have restored dozens of Norden bombsights and can tell you that the crosshairs are etched on a glass lens. When I get home I will post a picture.
I have restored dozens of Norden bombsights and can tell you that the crosshairs are etched on a glass lens. When I get home I will post a picture.
I have this oddly modified Norden stabilizer
and was wondering if anyone here might
shed some light on it's application?
As you see It has this large interface located between the stabilizer and Glide Bombing Attachment. I've never seen this before.
Any suggestions??
Thanks!
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Tim Moore
Airman
Here are some pictures of the crosshairs etched on a lens. Not hair. It is amazing that there is an entire Wikipedia web page with a bibliography and references about something so obviously false: Mary Babnik Brown - Wikipedia
Tim Moore
Airman
Really don't know, and can't find any reference pictures with that segment.
Tim Moore
Airman
And another thing. That same Wikipedia article on Mary Brown talks about the bombsight being surrounded by "booby-trapped charges". Sheesh.
Not an expert on hairs, or cross hairs but if you used human hair they would overlap, and if you were looking for the finest or straightest hair you would use hair from a blonde or ginger child ( I used to have one) and in any case many other animals have finer hair, away from hair I would think spiders webs were approaching the thinnest......amazing how stories grow legs and run, the wonder of the "net" doesn't stop these legends it actually makes them accepted "facts".
Tim Moore
Airman
Guess I could learn how to do Wikipedia. Wouldn't want to step on anyone else's hard work but that article on Mary Brown is pure fantasy. Why can't the truth suffice? That's just one reason I love Bill's posts. He was there and can tell us first hand, how it really was. Nobody that was referenced in that Wikipedia article was there or had even seen a Norden bombsight.
Good stuff Bill!