Carl Norden delivered his first production bombsight in 1939. Its performance during controlled demonstrations was excellent.

Who invented Norden bombsight?

"Carl Norden, as a proper Swiss man, was enamored by German engineers. In the 1930's he hired a bunch of them, including a man named Herman Long, who in 1938 gave a complete set of the plans for the Norden Bombsight to the Nazis," Gladwell said.

Where was the Norden bombsight invented?

The Norden sight was designed by Carl Norden, a Dutch engineer educated in Switzerland who emigrated to the U.S. in 1904. In 1911, Norden joined Sperry Gyroscope to work on ship gyrostabilizers, and then moved to work directly for the U.S. Navy as a consultant.

Who invented precision bombing?

The term may have been coined by Norden's Barth, who was among its most energetic popularizers. Norden was not alone in spreading the legend. Some Air Force bombardiers spoke proudly of tossing bombs into a 100-foot circle from four miles up.

What replaced the Norden bombsight?

They were replaced by the earliest custom-designed systems, normally iron sights that could be set based on the aircraft's airspeed and altitude.

Malcolm Gladwell: The strange tale of the Norden bombsight

26 related questions found

How much did it cost to develop the Norden bombsight?

Between 1932 and the end of World War II, nearly 90,000 Mark XV (or M-9) bombsights—81,537 for the Army Air Force and 8,353 for the Navy—were produced at a total cost of $1.1 billion. Production began to catch up with demand by late 1943, but mass production techniques also led to declining quality.

When was a guided bomb first used in battle?

The Germans were first to introduce Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs) in combat, using the 1,400-kg (3,100 lb) MCLOS-guidance Fritz X to successfully attack the Italian battleship Roma in September 1943.

What is the nickname for B 17 bomber?

B-17, also called Flying Fortress, U.S. heavy bomber used during World War II. The B-17 was designed by the Boeing Aircraft Company in response to a 1934 Army Air Corps specification that called for a four-engined bomber at a time when two engines were the norm.

How many b17 were used in Memphis Belle?

Five airworthy B-17s were used in the filming of the 1990 British-American war drama Memphis Belle. Two were from the US (N-17W), both on display in Seattle: the Movie Memphis Belle (44-83546), and B-17G Sally B from the UK.

Was Curtis LeMay a good general?

One of the commanders was Curtis LeMay—Colonel in command of a B-24 [sic] group. He was the finest combat commander of any service I came across in war. But he was extraordinarily belligerent, many thought brutal.

What is flak in war?

Flak typically refers to the anti-aircraft fire coming at one from anti-aircraft guns, derived during World War II from the German Flugabwehrkanone, for "aircraft defence cannon" in turn derived from Flugabwehrgeschütz (flag).

Was the b24 better than the B-17?

The B-24 had a shoulder-mounted high aspect ratio Davis wing. This wing was highly efficient allowing a relatively high airspeed and long range. Compared to the B-17 it had a 6-foot larger wingspan, but a lower wing area. This gave the B-24 a 35% higher wing loading.

How much ammo did a B-17 carry?

Additional armament included an additional dorsal turret in the radio room, a remotely operated and fired Bendix-built "chin turret" directly below the bombardier's accommodation, and twin .50 in (12.7 mm) guns in each of the waist positions. The ammunition load was over 11,000 rounds.

When was the smart bomb invented?

The first smart bomb was the Navy Walleye in 1967. It was a free-fall bomb with a television tracking system. It required sharp contrast to lock on to the target, and was often foiled by weather and the nature of targets in Vietnam.

When was the first guided missile invented?

The world's first guided missile was invented in the 1870s by an ingenious Irish man, Louis Brennan. Brennan also invented what is probably the first tilting train and an early type of helicopter.

How much is a Norden bombsight worth today?

DECLINE AND FALL OF A 'TOP SECRET'; Norden Bombsight Sold as Surplus for $24.50. The Norden bombsight, one of the United States' most secret weapons during World War II, is now being sold by a mail‐order house for $24.50.

Was the Norden bombsight any good?

The actual performance of the Norden in combat was good some of the time, but rarely great, and often terrible. Several studies revealed that as few as 5 percent of Eighth Air Force bombs fell within 1,000 feet of the target and the average error for 500-pound bombs dropped in Europe was a whopping 1,673 feet.

What did the Norden Mark XV bombsight allow the Air Corps to do?

The gyro-stabilized Norden Mark 15, issued in 1933, greatly exceeded the accuracy of its predecessors, allowing for precision bombing from high altitude. The introduction of faster, higher-flying bombers to the Air Corps inventory during the early 1930s drove its requirement for a modern bombsight.

What is black flak WW2?

The versatile 88mm cannon was Germany's main heavy antiaircraft—or “flak”—gun during World War II. When an 88mm projectile exploded at altitude, it sent out jagged metal fragments that tore through nearby aircraft. It also left a characteristic black cloud hanging in the sky.

How many Tiger tanks did Germany have?

However, the most telling statistic is that while the Soviet Union produced nearly 3,900 IS-2s, Germany built just 492 Tiger IIs. The Soviets built more than 108,000 tanks, and the Americans eighty-eight thousand, because World War II was a contest of production that devoured material at an appalling rate.

Was WW2 flak effective?

How effective was it in WW2? “Flak in the Second World War was very effective. Most of the official Allied histories downplayed its role. Many postwar histories accepted the testimony of leading figures within the Luftwaffe that ground based AA defences achieved limited success in destroying Allied bombers.