49:
134:(RAF) became seriously interested in the widespread use of astronavigation for nighttime flights. During November 1937, astronavigation was formally endorsed to be a part of standard navigation procedure amongst general reconnaissance and twin-engine bomber pilots. Two years later, a specialised bubble sextant was designed for the service, which became a preferred tool for this form of navigation. Typically, there would be a suspension arm mounted in the vicinity of the astrodome, upon which the sextant could be mounted via a swivel clip affixed to the top of the instrument.
38:
110:, astronavigation became a critical ability used to by various nations to conduct long distance flights at night, particularly strategic bombing campaigns. The RAF's choice to mainly operate its bombers at night meant that its crews were particularly dependent on astronavigation for finding their way to and from targets. The introduction of
103:(RAF) adopted astronavigation techniques into standard navigator training during the late 1930s, both the methods used and the design of the sextant were adapted to better suit the aviation environment, while many aircraft ordered by the service would be furnished with astrodomes to enable navigators to use this technique.
201:
were becoming increasingly available; these devices would eventually displace the use of astronavigation and thus aircraft would increasingly be built without astrodomes or other accommodations for this means of navigation. Astrodomes added drag and could fail under pressurization (called a blowout)
161:
four-engined heavy bomber, the astrodome was angled so that it could provide generous external views, including of ground positions, not only those relevant to the task of astronavigation, thus the facility was sometimes used for observation (unrelated to navigation). Several
295:
flying boat. Not only could he use it for sextant astro-navigation, but it provided a sheltered place from which he could steer his yacht during a stormy race. This was quite useful, as his wind-vane autopilot (also derived from aeronautical technology) had broken down.
153:. Furthermore, numerous aircraft would be retrofitted with astrodomes to better facilitate operational use. For the RAF, it was particularly important for specific aircraft to possess astrodomes as the service had opted to perform the majority of its
192:
Several RAF bombers, such as the
Sterling, were equipped with an astrograph; this device, installed above the navigator's table, projected lines of equal altitude for two stars at any one time. The navigator only needed to observe
130:. During these early days of aviation, those individual officers that chose to employ astronavigation often attempted to simplify the traditional procedures of marine navigators in this new operating context. Amid the 1930s, the
276:
era, the use of the astrodome spread to other vehicles, including a number of ocean-going vessels. In particular, they found popularity on long distance racing yachts, especially those that were being used in solo racing.
217:, while furnished with internal navigation systems, would often still be navigable by astronavigation. During the early 1960s, astrodomes were still being employed in the USMC Lockheed Hercules GV-1 (later designated as
256:, which could see stars during both day and night, would continuously track a variety of stars as the aircraft's changing position brought them into view. The system's digital computer
486:
202:
which has occurred in several instances often with fatal consequences for the navigator. Efforts were made to reduce this danger such as retractable periscopic sextants.
252:. This system performed its observations of the stars above the aircraft via a circular quartz glass window set onto the upper fuselage. Its "blue light" source
376:
359:
222:
189:. On the B-29, the bonding of the astrodome was designed so that it would generate only minimal radio interference via static electric discharges.
169:
Similar hemispherical-shaped domes were also installed on some Second World War era heavy bombers for the purpose of sighting of their defensive
261:
48:
126:
Sporadic use of astronavigation in aviation can be found in numerous long distance flights performed during the 1920s and even amid the
329:
565:
619:
284:
226:
490:
651:
157:
over the continent under the cover of night, hindering conventional navigation by landmarks. On numerous aircraft, such as the
646:
512:
221:); the navigator was able to employ a bubble sextant hung from a hook in the middle of the dome. The USMC operated its
79:
Astronavigation was a principal early method for attaining an aircraft's position during nighttime by referencing the
641:
537:
305:
245:
551:
287:, and former French Aéronavale (Fleet air arm) pilot, had fitted his revolutionary lightweight ketch-rigged racer
210:
186:
182:
233:
198:
636:
241:
142:
471:
237:
197:
from this point to achieve a three-star fix. While deemed to be useful in astronavigation, by this time
65:
249:
73:
53:
173:, particularly those that were remotely operated. Examples of such installations include the German
145:-operated multi-engined aircraft and on foreign aircraft ordered by them for their use, such as the
449:
402:
118:
soon competed with astronavigation, although electronic techniques had their shortcomings as well.
423:
91:, and proved to be applicable to faster moving aircraft as well, however, the task required a 360-
611:
178:
154:
615:
292:
138:
111:
107:
398:
445:
131:
127:
100:
42:
76:
and thereby guide the aircraft at night without the aid of land-based visual references.
206:
174:
163:
158:
146:
92:
240:
aircraft, was furnished with a complex array of navigation systems, which included an
630:
150:
177:
A, which had a single forward dorsal dome to aim its remotely operated FDL 131 twin
37:
17:
399:"AMERICAN AIRCRAFT IN ROYAL AIR FORCE SERVICE 1939-1945: BOEING MODEL 299 FORTRESS"
280:
253:
586:
170:
115:
257:
31:
185:
heavy bomber, which had used a dome in its complex sighting system for its
489:. National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. Archived from
214:
99:. By installing an astrodome, such a view could be readily achieved. The
69:
273:
194:
96:
84:
87:
had been commonplace amongst navigators for hundreds of years aboard
56:’s dorsal gun-sighting "astrodome", just aft of the cockpit glazing
264:: the list first included 56 stars, and was later expanded to 61.
218:
88:
47:
36:
80:
487:"High Flying Science: The Story Behind the Bomber in the Lake"
424:"Archives: Veterans Memories - Sgt Reginald Lawrence Lewis"
72:. Such a dome would allow a trained navigator to perform
225:
at MCAS Cherry Point, NC with graduates receiving their
564:
Morrison, Bill. SR-71 contributors, Feedback column,
27:
Window dome for astronomical navigation on airplanes
244:system (ANS) to correct deviations produced by the
291:with an astrodome scavenged from a decommissioned
360:"A History of Navigation in the Royal Air Force"
68:dome that was installed in the cabin roof of an
354:
352:
350:
348:
346:
344:
342:
340:
338:
262:a list of stars used for celestial navigation
8:
141:, astrodomes were prominent on many RAF and
608:Sled Driver: Flying the World's Fastest Jet
587:"SR-71A-1 Flight Manual, Section IV, p. 3."
332:, definition at Webster's Online Dictionary
166:were outfitted with a pair of astrodomes.
606:Shul, Brian and Sheila Kathleen O'Grady.
83:. The practice of sighting stars using a
322:
285:OSTAR single-handed transatlantic race
283:, record-breaking winner of the 1964
7:
540:. AirCorps Library. 17 January 1949.
377:"RAF Mk.IX BM bubble sextant, cased"
365:. rafmuseum.org.uk. 21 October 1996.
552:"Gander Airport Historical Society"
566:Aviation Week and Space Technology
25:
485:Glenn, Sierra (3 February 2020).
446:"Radcliffe, Doug (Oral history)"
181:dorsal turret, and the American
592:. Retrieved: 13 December 2011.
470:Foster, WG (14 October 2005).
1:
187:quartet of remote gun turrets
41:The astrodome (arrowed) on a
379:. historicflyingclothing.com
538:"Bonding of Astrodome Disc"
668:
610:. Marysville, California:
306:Index of aviation articles
246:inertial navigation system
43:Vickers Warwick B/ASR Mk 1
29:
568:, 9 December 2013, p. 10.
211:English Electric Canberra
199:inertial guidance systems
183:Boeing B-29 Superfortress
426:. internationalbcc.co.uk
234:Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
229:as an Aerial Navigator.
223:Aerial Navigation School
518:. cooksontributeb29.com
242:astro-inertial guidance
652:Navigational equipment
250:celestial observations
95:view of the celestial
57:
45:
577:Shul and O'Grady 1994
472:"Not A Piece Of Cake"
238:aerial reconnaissance
227:designation and wings
209:bombers, such as the
51:
40:
647:Celestial navigation
155:offensive operations
30:For other uses, see
18:Astrodome (aviation)
450:Imperial War Museum
403:Imperial War Museum
64:is a hemispherical
32:Astrodome (stadium)
260:contained data on
58:
46:
642:Aircraft canopies
16:(Redirected from
659:
593:
584:
578:
575:
569:
562:
556:
555:
548:
542:
541:
534:
528:
527:
525:
523:
517:
513:"B-29 Interiors"
509:
503:
502:
500:
498:
482:
476:
475:
467:
461:
460:
458:
456:
442:
436:
435:
433:
431:
420:
414:
413:
411:
409:
395:
389:
388:
386:
384:
373:
367:
366:
364:
356:
333:
327:
293:Short Sunderland
248:via a series of
139:Second World War
112:electronic means
108:Second World War
21:
667:
666:
662:
661:
660:
658:
657:
656:
627:
626:
625:
602:
597:
596:
585:
581:
576:
572:
563:
559:
550:
549:
545:
536:
535:
531:
521:
519:
515:
511:
510:
506:
496:
494:
493:on 20 July 2020
484:
483:
479:
469:
468:
464:
454:
452:
444:
443:
439:
429:
427:
422:
421:
417:
407:
405:
397:
396:
392:
382:
380:
375:
374:
370:
362:
358:
357:
336:
328:
324:
319:
314:
302:
270:
236:, a high speed
164:Avro Lancasters
132:Royal Air Force
128:First World War
124:
122:Use in aviation
101:Royal Air Force
74:astronavigation
35:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
665:
663:
655:
654:
649:
644:
639:
637:Air navigation
629:
628:
624:
623:
603:
601:
598:
595:
594:
579:
570:
557:
543:
529:
504:
477:
462:
437:
415:
390:
368:
334:
321:
320:
318:
315:
313:
310:
309:
308:
301:
298:
269:
266:
175:Heinkel He 177
159:Short Stirling
123:
120:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
664:
653:
650:
648:
645:
643:
640:
638:
635:
634:
632:
621:
620:0-929823-08-7
617:
613:
609:
605:
604:
599:
591:
588:
583:
580:
574:
571:
567:
561:
558:
553:
547:
544:
539:
533:
530:
514:
508:
505:
492:
488:
481:
478:
473:
466:
463:
451:
447:
441:
438:
425:
419:
416:
404:
400:
394:
391:
378:
372:
369:
361:
355:
353:
351:
349:
347:
345:
343:
341:
339:
335:
331:
326:
323:
316:
311:
307:
304:
303:
299:
297:
294:
290:
286:
282:
278:
275:
267:
265:
263:
259:
255:
251:
247:
243:
239:
235:
230:
228:
224:
220:
216:
212:
208:
203:
200:
196:
190:
188:
184:
180:
176:
172:
167:
165:
160:
156:
152:
148:
144:
140:
135:
133:
129:
121:
119:
117:
113:
109:
104:
102:
98:
94:
90:
86:
82:
77:
75:
71:
67:
63:
55:
50:
44:
39:
33:
19:
607:
600:Bibliography
589:
582:
573:
560:
546:
532:
520:. Retrieved
507:
495:. Retrieved
491:the original
480:
465:
453:. Retrieved
440:
428:. Retrieved
418:
406:. Retrieved
393:
381:. Retrieved
371:
325:
289:Pen Duick II
288:
281:Eric Tabarly
279:
271:
254:star tracker
231:
204:
191:
168:
143:Commonwealth
136:
125:
105:
78:
61:
59:
54:Heinkel 177A
612:Gallery One
272:During the
207:jet-powered
171:gun turrets
137:During the
106:During the
66:transparent
631:Categories
312:References
268:Use at sea
116:navigation
590:sr-71.org
330:astrodome
317:Citations
258:ephemeris
215:V bombers
147:Liberator
62:astrodome
614:, 1994.
300:See also
213:and the
70:aircraft
522:20 July
497:20 July
455:20 July
430:20 July
408:20 July
383:20 July
274:postwar
195:Polaris
97:horizon
85:sextant
618:
474:. BBC.
205:Early
179:MG 131
151:Dakota
93:degree
516:(PDF)
363:(PDF)
219:C-130
89:ships
81:stars
616:ISBN
524:2020
499:2020
457:2020
432:2020
410:2020
385:2020
232:The
149:and
114:of
60:An
633::
448:.
401:.
337:^
52:A
622:.
554:.
526:.
501:.
459:.
434:.
412:.
387:.
34:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
