Norton Bombsight

[grhea]

I know that the Norton bombsight was a major improvement ovder previous models.

My question is "what were those improvements"???

 

[Airframes]

It was a gyro stabilised, computing bombsight, with the ability to 'take command' of the aircraft on the bombing run. Previous sites were very basic, if not crude, mechanical drift indicators basically. If you want the full story, there's a web-site run by a guy who collects them, and has written the history of this site. BTW, it's Norden, not Norton, so if you just 'Google' Norden, you should find his very interesting and informative display.

 

[Graeme]

with the ability to 'take command' of the aircraft on the bombing run.

G'day Terry. I admit to knowing jack sh!t about bomb sights, but wasn't the British 'Course Setting Bomb Sight' series also capable of this? However the Norden certainly looks to be a more compact unit.

I think I found the site you were referring to...

NORDEN BOMBSIGHT

There are some interesting e-mails on the site (about half way down) from Allan Hunter in distinguishing between the CSBS Mark VII and IX. I believe he is correct based on drawings and data from a RAAF bombing notes manual that I have which once belonged to my father. Here's the Mk IXC from the manual...

 

[Airframes]

Hi Graeme. You're quite right, to a point. The series of Course Setting Bomb sites were, as you know, and can see from the manual's diagram, a drift indicator/computer arrangement. This provided the heading etc on which to fly to allow the desired trajectory and release pont for the pilot to fly. But the pilot still flew the aircraft, with directions from the bomb aimer. The later British Computing Bomb Site worked in a similar way to the Norden, in as much as, at a particular point, the bomb site itself was actually coupled to the aircraft's auto-pilot, so that adjustments made by the bomb aimer, or Bombardier in the USAAF, actually controlled the aircraft, without input from the pilot. Obviously, it's a lot more 'involved' than that, in both cases, and I'll admit I'm not fully conversant with the processes involved in the operation of drift or computing sites, but I'm sure you get my meaning.

 

[Graeme]

Thanks Terry, much appreciated!