2194days

Weapons · United States · 1934-1945

Norden bombsight

precision bombsight

An analog mechanical computer linked to an autopilot, the Norden let a bombardier take control of a bomber's final approach and calculate release automatically, and it was guarded as such a closely held secret that bombardiers swore an oath to destroy it rather than let it fall into enemy hands. Its real-world accuracy in combat rarely matched the precision promised in peacetime trials.

Wikipedia

weight23 kg
typeoptical/mechanical analog computer

Western Europe, Mediterranean and North Africa, Pacific

Norden Bombsight at Computer History Museum.
Norden Bombsight at Computer History Museum.Allan J. Cronin · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
This is the first example of the Norden series of bombsights. Carl Norden constructed it in 1923 to replace the Navy Mark III pilot-directing bombsight. The Mark XI entered service in 1929. An improved version, the Mark X
This is the first example of the Norden series of bombsights. Carl Norden constructed it in 1923 to replace the Navy Mark III pilot-directing bombsight. The Mark XI entered service in 1929. An improved version, the Mark XSanjay Acharya · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Here is an excerpt from the Bombardier's Information File (BIF) that describes the components and controls of the Norden Bombsight.
Here is an excerpt from the Bombardier's Information File (BIF) that describes the components and controls of the Norden Bombsight. · Public domain · source

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