Simviation Forum - Enigma machine - Build a part of History

Feb 22^nd, 2004 at 11:21pm

Felix/FFDS Offline
Admin
FINALLY an official Granddad!
Orlando, FL

Gender:
Posts: 1000000627

http://www.xat.nl/enigma-e/desc/index.htm

What can I say?

Bascially, a kit is offered so that you can build your very own Enigma machine, and to boot, decipher several German Army encoded messages.

Felix/FFDS

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #1 - Feb 23^rd, 2004 at 12:14am

SilverFox441 Offline
Colonel
Now What?
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Gender:
Posts: 1467

Quote:

http://www.xat.nl/enigma-e/desc/index.htm

What can I say?

Bascially, a kit is offered so that you can build your very own Enigma machine, and to boot, decipher several German Army encoded messages.

You would have thought that someone in NATO would have told the Germans to stop using that code already.

The Bundeswehr is going to be very upset!

Steve (Silver Fox) Daly

&&

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #2 - Feb 23^rd, 2004 at 12:35am

WebbPA Ex Member
I Like Flight Simulation!

Interesting but couldn't you just make a computerized emulator?

Moore's Law x 50 years would seem to say that you could crack the code in a couple of seconds.

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #3 - Feb 23^rd, 2004 at 4:28am

Hagar Offline
Colonel
My Spitfire Girl
Costa Geriatrica

Posts: 33159

Bletchley Park museum sells miniature versions of the Engma machine. They are basically toys & I didn't bother to get one myself. They also have computerised version you can play with online. http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/

Cracking the code is no use at all without knowing the settings for the day & the operator's personal settings that are changed with each message. The fact that some operators disobeyed instructions led to the success of the codebreakers & vital messages being decoded.

Founder & Sole Member - Grumpy's Over the Hill Club for Veteran Virtual Aviators
Member of the Fox Four Group

Need help? Try Grumpy's Lair

My photo gallery

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #4 - Feb 23^rd, 2004 at 7:08am

Felix/FFDS Offline
Admin
FINALLY an official Granddad!
Orlando, FL

Gender:
Posts: 1000000627

Quote:

Interesting but couldn't you just make a computerized emulator?

Moore's Law x 50 years would seem to say that you could crack the code in a couple of seconds.

Of course you can, and definitely there are better encryption methods/devices. The reasoning is the same as "why build a replica aeroplane when you can buy something current"? - Just because.

Felix/FFDS

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #5 - Feb 23^rd, 2004 at 2:03pm

ozzy72 Offline
Global Moderator
Pretty scary huh?
Madsville

Gender:
Posts: 37122

Quote:

why build a replica aeroplane when you can buy something current"?

Err guilty as charged Cheesy

Mind you I'm sure there are a few enigma emulators out there. And of course you have to consider that there were several variants with various numbers of pin-wheels as well Doug... Thank goodness for Station X and the likes of Mr. A.Turing!

Mark

There are two types of aeroplane, Spitfires and everything else that wishes it was a Spitfire!

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #6 - Feb 23^rd, 2004 at 2:51pm

Hagar Offline
Colonel
My Spitfire Girl
Costa Geriatrica

Posts: 33159

Quote:

And of course you have to consider that there were several variants with various numbers of pin-wheels as well Doug...

Yep, I'm aware of that after a guided tour of Bletchley Park a few months ago. Even the simplest form with 3 wheels is impossible to break without knowing the daily settings & those of the operator*. The latter was the stroke of genius.

*Of course, this might be possible today with a modern computer.

Founder & Sole Member - Grumpy's Over the Hill Club for Veteran Virtual Aviators
Member of the Fox Four Group

Need help? Try Grumpy's Lair

My photo gallery

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #7 - Feb 23^rd, 2004 at 3:24pm

ozzy72 Offline
Global Moderator
Pretty scary huh?
Madsville

Gender:
Posts: 37122

As I recall the early breakthrough was when someone realised that an operator had to transmit the first letter of the day twice, and from that they could deduce the setting and start cracking the code.... Mind you its been a while since I read up on this....

Mark

There are two types of aeroplane, Spitfires and everything else that wishes it was a Spitfire!

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #8 - Feb 23^rd, 2004 at 3:29pm

Hagar Offline
Colonel
My Spitfire Girl
Costa Geriatrica

Posts: 33159

I believe this was the case but the big breakthrough came when they realised that one operator in particular ignored orders. He regularly left the wheels where they were throughout the whole day, maybe longer, no matter how many messages he sent. A simple spin of even one wheel for each message would have prevented this.

Founder & Sole Member - Grumpy's Over the Hill Club for Veteran Virtual Aviators
Member of the Fox Four Group

Need help? Try Grumpy's Lair

My photo gallery

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #9 - Feb 23^rd, 2004 at 9:25pm

Scorpiоn Offline
Colonel
Take it easy!
The Alamo

Gender:
Posts: 4496

I'd be interested in making a Enigma machine, but that picture in the link looks nothing like it!

Although I've always wanted to build a mini air raid siren, but never bothered looking it up since I assume it's illegal to have one. Tongue

The Devil's Advocate.&&

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #10 - Feb 24^th, 2004 at 11:56am

Felix/FFDS Offline
Admin
FINALLY an official Granddad!
Orlando, FL

Gender:
Posts: 1000000627

Quote:

I'd be interested in making a Enigma machine, but that picture in the link looks nothing like it!

Although I've always wanted to build a mini air raid siren, but never bothered looking it up since I assume it's illegal to have one. Tongue

Notice the the link gives the kit and how to build the "Enigma-E" for electronic - some modern technology is in there for convenience.

Felix/FFDS

Back to top

IP Logged

	Search the archive: