Goodly morning all...

I am posting this here because I think there will be many different thoughts and opinions on this topic from Windows 7 to the Whiz Wheel.   

Flight Computers:

E6B or "Whiz Wheel" from 1930s

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E6B

Jeppesen CR-3 "Circular Computer"

http://www.mypilotstore.com/mypilotstore/sep/1207

Air Classics
CX-2 Pathfinder Flight Computer

http://flysunstate.com/store/cx2-electronic-flight-computer.html

And just to add some confusion...

Keuffel and Esser Slide Rule "Slipstick"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slide_rule

Well the old girl and I have two or three of the mentioned above hand held computers including several slide rules which I bet ninety per-cent of the simviation membership would look at and gasp.

It is a habit for us when we do a flight plan to use the E6B or Jepp CR-3 and check the figures with the battery powered CX-2 Pathfinder to see how accurate we are.

If you are interested talk to a Flight Navigator and see what equipment they used to have and what they use now, you would be amazed and probably find it interesting.

As for the slide rule, that is what we used in high school, college and university long before the hand held battery powered calculators came about.

The home computer also has several different calculators available amongst other tools but one needs a very long cord to take the home computer for a flight in their thrifty 150...

Well I have all kinds of calculators and hand held computers but I am still waiting for someone to design and produce a computer operating system that works.

What I have read here in a previous post was Vista is garbage which I agree with and Windows 7 was designed for folks like me who have little knowledge of these electronic gizmoes and Windows 7 is not much better than Vista.

HMMM...so what is this post all about?   

Am I trying to tell you about hand held flight computers or electronic computers that can be used for simulated flight?   

Darn I can't remember...            

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug
P.S.  Off to sit in the corner of my wee underground garage
       barn...

Awesome reply Larry...

Now that is something one does not see much anymore.  There is an old brown one around the homestead somewhere, it should be worth a few dollars now...

I was at the bugsmasher field and those silly old retired rocking chair flying geezers got talking about the computers used in the world war two bombers like the Halifax.

I have seen one and it sparked my interest so am trying to do a little research on this unit as they say they were one of the first flying computers.

Wonder why it took so long for the personal home computer to come on the civilian market?

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

Flying Trucker wrote on Nov 9^th, 2010 at 7:58am:

Hi Doug. I suspect the "computer" they're talking about was the Mk IX Course Setting Bombsight. http://www.historyofwar.org/Pictures/pictures_mk_ix_course_setting_bombsight.htm...
This was a mechanical instrument & not the electronic computer we're familiar with today.

Quote:

That's easy enough to explain. The problem was the sheer size & weight of the components. The World's first semi-programmable electronic computer was Colossus Mk I that became operational at the code breaking centre at Bletchley Park in early 1944. It used 1,500 thermionic valves (vacuum tubes) & would fill a fair sized room. Home computers would not become practical until the development of integrated circuits & microprocessors in the 1970s.

Back to the original subject, we were trained on the Dalton Mk III Navigational "Computor" when I was in the ATC (Air Training Corps). This was the same as those used by the RAF in WWII. I'm sure you've used these yourself. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jvk/3893148355/
Again, it's purely mechanical & more like a circular slide rule. Rather bulky but very easy to use once you know how it works.

Flying Trucker wrote on Nov 9^th, 2010 at 10:59am:

I'll be interested to see what you can find out Doug. Both the Halifax & Lancaster had an autopilot (nicknamed George) but I can't find any reference to the bombsight being connected to it as in the Norden.

Quote:

I believe the Lancaster was originally designed with a ventral turret. Not sure about the Halifax. I've read about various "in house" mods to add ventral guns firing through open hatches in the fuselage.

Just found this. http://www.lancaster-archive.com/bc_t1bombsight.htm

Good afternoon all...

Made it to the museum but the chap that new about this unit is away for a month.

I did take a look at the unit, the museum has three of them not including the one hooked up in the restored Halifax.

The unit was made by:
AC SPARK PLUG DIVISION...GMC...USA
COMPUTER
TYPE T-1-A Along with a card that said MK X!V Computer

Interesting unit but mechanical I believe with hookups and many settings.

Guess I shall have to wait the month for him to come back.

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

Thanks for the link Doug.

I wish my uncles were all alive as one of them flew the DeHavilland Mosquito and I believe the T-1-A was used it that aircraft.

There were some lively discussions around the old kitchen table about the DeHavilland Mosquito, Hawker Typhoon  and the Bristol Beaufighter.

Oh and a little off topic but I got a look at the Avro Anson being restored this morning...wonderful and all done by unsung volunteers...

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

That's all you really need specter177...

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug