80:
124:) extending out the bottom with a mirror that reflected the image of the target into a small telescope in the box. The mechanisms within combined the functions of the Norden's stabilizer and optics, moving the mirror to stabilize the image as well as tracking the target. The controls were likewise much simpler than the Nordens', consisting primarily of three large knurled knobs to adjust aim.
133:
149:
7 could view targets directly in front of the aircraft, so the bombardier could use the real target for adjustments, rather than having to "tune" the instruments on a test target located closer to the aircraft. The bombsight could be used against targets 90° to 40° in front of the aircraft, and up to
144:
would first locate the target in the bombsight and continue to adjust the dials until it remained motionless in the eyepiece. This allowed the bombsight to calculate the wind speed from the cancelled out drift rate, which in turn allowed to make an accurate calculation of groundspeed. Unlike the
177:, the tube was open to the air, mounted so the mirror window was almost flush with the fuselage line. In the case of the single-seat Ar 234, the bombsight was difficult to access, so the autopilot was engaged first, allowing the pilot to remove the control yoke and access the bombsight.
115:
7, a similar set of gyroscopes provided a stabilized platform for the bombardier to sight through, although the more complex interaction between the bombsight and autopilot of the Norden was not used. The
154:
was engaged, while the bombsight adjusted the flight path in response to last-minute changes by the bombardier. Bomb release was normally automatic in order to reduce timing errors.
161:
7 was normally installed near the nose of the aircraft with the mirror tube projecting through the fuselage to the outside of the aircraft. In most installations, like those in the
108:
The Norden consisted of two primary parts, the optical system, and a large stabilization platform. Both were complex and had to be separately maintained to keep them operational.
95:, Herman W. Lang, who had been employed by the Carl L. Norden Corporation (manufacturers of the Norden bombsight), was able to provide vital details of the new bombsight to the
723:
493:
311:
Altitude above target: 100–850 m (330–2,790 ft) altitude non-synchronized; 850–10,000 m (2,790–32,810 ft) altitude synchronized
552:
373:
642:
91:
In spite of the security precautions, the entire Norden system had been passed to the
Germans before the war started. A member of the German
404:
514:
344:
433:
399:
462:
120:
7 was dramatically simpler, consisting of a single metal box containing the vast majority of the mechanism, with a tube (
136:
Arado Ar 234, The sight window of the Lotfe 7 is visible under the fuselage, ahead of the front leg of the landing gear.
56:, but much simpler to operate and maintain. Several models were produced and eventually completely replaced the simpler
718:
169:, the tube ended in a fairing under the fuselage with a protruding flat window in front. In other cases, like the
728:
105:
Nikolaus Ritter of the Abwehr) and reconstructed sketches and plans of the confidential materials from memory.
141:
84:
483:
298:
Field of View: 35°, equivalent to 630 m (2,070 ft) at a range of 1,000 m (3,300 ft)
544:
256:
174:
488:
365:
57:
650:
622:
111:
German instruments were actually fairly similar to the Norden, even before World War II. In the
594:
246:
196:
7 interacted badly with the Soviet-designed Si-1 autopilot and the problems were never fixed.
92:
394:
586:
53:
64:
522:
336:
79:
425:
292:
Power requirement: 90 W without heating, 190 W with heating (under +5 °C)
227:
218:
166:
574:
99:. During a visit to Germany in 1938, Lang conferred with German military authorities (
712:
209:
189:
162:
20:
692:
236:
185:
170:
71:
7C, appearing in
January 1941, was the first one to have gyroscopic stabilization.
702:
454:
598:
151:
49:
45:
132:
366:"San Diego Air & Space Museum - Historical Balboa Park, San Diego"
426:"Norden Bombsight - WWII Memorabilia, Military Items at Houston Wing"
101:
96:
590:
628:
515:"Lotfernrohr Lotfe 7 D-1 bombsight, German - Imperial War Museums"
131:
78:
631:
Department of
Armament. p. 234 – via Internet Archive.
678:. Shrewsbury, England: Airlife Publishing. pp. 43, 44.
699:(in German) with original Luftwaffe and Carl Zeiss manuals
624:
Norden Bomb Sight Manual: For maintenance and calibration
184:
7's were found in the Zeiss factories and shipped to the
627:(Technical report). Vol. 1. Lowry Field, Colorado:
314:
True Air Speed: 150–600 km/h (93–373 mph)
455:"History of The Norden Bombsight and How It Works"
301:Range of movement for the sight tube: +80° to -20°
192:to replace the much more complex Norden, but the
669:
667:
330:
328:
140:Operation was fairly similar to the Norden. The
286:Depth of Lotfernrohr: 390 mm (15 in)
52:level bombers, similar to the United States'
8:
484:"Not-So-Secret Weapon: The Norden Bombsight"
173:or the prototype bomber conversions of the
150:20° on either side. On final approach, the
724:World War II military equipment of Germany
674:Griehl, Manfred; Dressel, Joachim (1998).
616:
614:
188:. There was an attempt to use them in the
289:Weight, complete: 28 kg (62 lb)
324:
575:"The bombsight war: Norden vs. Sperry"
180:After the war about a thousand unused
7:
16:Bombsight of most Luftwaffe bombers
280:Height: 662 mm (26.1 in)
14:
647:7 bombsights in Lend-Lease B-25s"
275:Specifications for Lotfernrohr 7C
335:Williamson, Mitch (2020-05-08).
573:Searle, Loyd (September 1989).
555:from the original on 2022-08-20
496:from the original on 2022-08-20
465:from the original on 2022-08-20
436:from the original on 2022-08-20
407:from the original on 2022-08-20
400:Federal Bureau of Investigation
376:from the original on 2022-08-20
347:from the original on 2022-08-20
283:Width: 350 mm (14 in)
621:B.S.M. Division (1943-09-01).
1:
44:, was the primary series of
697:7B,C,C/D und D Bombenvisier
257:Messerschmitt Me 262A-2a/U2
745:
264:7K - Ar 234, Me 262A-2a/U2
703:Optical targeting devices
83:Lotfernrohr 7 D-1 at the
543:Sweeting, C. G. (2014).
643:"Postwar soviet use of
370:sandiegoairandspace.org
37:meant "Telescope"), or
676:Heinkel He 177-277-274
545:"Not-So-Secret Weapon"
137:
88:
85:Polish Aviation Museum
135:
82:
33:meant "Vertical" and
519:Imperial War Museums
270:7K-2 - Me 262A-2a/U2
255:7H - Ju 88, Fw 200,
175:Messerschmitt Me 262
395:"Duquesne Spy Ring"
341:Weapons and Warfare
306:Limits of operation
295:Magnification: 1.4x
719:Optical bombsights
138:
89:
247:Focke-Wulf Fw 200
219:Heinkel He 111H-5
93:Duquesne Spy Ring
736:
729:Analog computers
680:
679:
671:
662:
661:
659:
658:
649:. Archived from
639:
633:
632:
618:
609:
608:
606:
605:
570:
564:
563:
561:
560:
540:
534:
533:
531:
530:
521:. Archived from
511:
505:
504:
502:
501:
480:
474:
473:
471:
470:
451:
445:
444:
442:
441:
422:
416:
415:
413:
412:
391:
385:
384:
382:
381:
362:
356:
355:
353:
352:
332:
239:, He 177A, Ju 88
67:bombsights. The
54:Norden bombsight
744:
743:
739:
738:
737:
735:
734:
733:
709:
708:
689:
684:
683:
673:
672:
665:
656:
654:
641:
640:
636:
620:
619:
612:
603:
601:
591:10.1109/6.90187
572:
571:
567:
558:
556:
542:
541:
537:
528:
526:
513:
512:
508:
499:
497:
482:
481:
477:
468:
466:
453:
452:
448:
439:
437:
424:
423:
419:
410:
408:
393:
392:
388:
379:
377:
364:
363:
359:
350:
348:
337:"Lotfernrohr 7"
334:
333:
326:
321:
308:
277:
228:Heinkel He 177A
202:
130:
77:
17:
12:
11:
5:
742:
740:
732:
731:
726:
721:
711:
710:
707:
706:
700:
688:
687:External links
685:
682:
681:
663:
634:
610:
565:
535:
506:
492:. 2017-03-09.
475:
461:. 2021-04-30.
446:
417:
386:
357:
323:
322:
320:
317:
316:
315:
312:
307:
304:
303:
302:
299:
296:
293:
290:
287:
284:
281:
276:
273:
272:
271:
265:
259:
250:
240:
230:
221:
212:
201:
198:
167:Heinkel He 111
129:
126:
76:
73:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
741:
730:
727:
725:
722:
720:
717:
716:
714:
704:
701:
698:
696:
691:
690:
686:
677:
670:
668:
664:
653:on 2014-02-22
652:
648:
646:
638:
635:
630:
626:
625:
617:
615:
611:
600:
596:
592:
588:
584:
580:
579:IEEE Spectrum
576:
569:
566:
554:
550:
549:html.idoc.pub
546:
539:
536:
525:on 2022-08-20
524:
520:
516:
510:
507:
495:
491:
490:
485:
479:
476:
464:
460:
456:
450:
447:
435:
431:
427:
421:
418:
406:
402:
401:
396:
390:
387:
375:
371:
367:
361:
358:
346:
342:
338:
331:
329:
325:
318:
313:
310:
309:
305:
300:
297:
294:
291:
288:
285:
282:
279:
278:
274:
269:
266:
263:
260:
258:
254:
251:
248:
245:7D - Ar 234,
244:
241:
238:
234:
231:
229:
225:
222:
220:
216:
213:
211:
210:Junkers Ju 88
207:
204:
203:
199:
197:
195:
191:
190:B-25 Mitchell
187:
183:
178:
176:
172:
168:
164:
163:Junkers Ju 88
160:
155:
153:
148:
143:
134:
127:
125:
123:
119:
114:
109:
106:
104:
103:
98:
94:
86:
81:
74:
72:
70:
66:
62:
60:
55:
51:
48:used in most
47:
43:
41:
36:
32:
28:
26:
22:
694:
693:Lotfernrohr
675:
655:. Retrieved
651:the original
644:
637:
623:
602:. Retrieved
585:(9): 60–64.
582:
578:
568:
557:. Retrieved
548:
538:
527:. Retrieved
523:the original
518:
509:
498:. Retrieved
487:
478:
467:. Retrieved
458:
449:
438:. Retrieved
430:Houston Wing
429:
420:
409:. Retrieved
398:
389:
378:. Retrieved
369:
360:
349:. Retrieved
340:
267:
261:
252:
242:
237:Arado Ar 234
232:
223:
214:
205:
193:
181:
179:
171:Arado Ar 234
158:
156:
146:
145:Norden, the
139:
121:
117:
112:
110:
107:
100:
90:
68:
58:
39:
38:
34:
30:
24:
23:
18:
705:(in German)
459:Aero Corner
59:Lotfernrohr
25:Lotfernrohr
713:Categories
657:2007-12-20
604:2024-03-08
559:2022-08-20
529:2022-08-20
500:2022-08-20
489:HistoryNet
469:2022-08-20
440:2022-08-20
411:2022-08-20
380:2022-08-20
351:2022-08-20
319:References
142:bombardier
46:bombsights
21:Carl Zeiss
599:1939-9340
152:autopilot
128:Operation
50:Luftwaffe
553:Archived
494:Archived
463:Archived
434:Archived
405:Archived
374:Archived
345:Archived
200:Versions
35:Fernrohr
249:, Ju 88
597:
102:Oberst
97:Abwehr
75:Design
695:Lotfe
645:Lotfe
629:USAAF
268:Lotfe
262:Lotfe
253:Lotfe
243:Lotfe
235:7C -
233:Lotfe
226:7B -
224:Lotfe
217:7A -
215:Lotfe
206:Lotfe
194:Lotfe
182:Lotfe
159:Lotfe
147:Lotfe
118:Lotfe
113:Lotfe
69:Lotfe
65:BZG 2
40:Lotfe
595:ISSN
208:7 -
186:USSR
157:The
122:Rohr
63:and
19:The
587:doi
165:or
31:Lot
715::
666:^
613:^
593:.
583:26
581:.
577:.
551:.
547:.
517:.
486:.
457:.
432:.
428:.
403:.
397:.
372:.
368:.
343:.
339:.
327:^
660:.
607:.
589::
562:.
532:.
503:.
472:.
443:.
414:.
383:.
354:.
87:.
61:3
42:7
29:(
27:7
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
