WW2 Analog Aircraft Weight and Balance Computer

[kontiki]

Blast from the past, pretty cool though.

LIBRASCOPE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
http://www.cowardstereoview.com/analog/libra.htm

From here:

http://www.cowardstereoview.com/analog/index.html#manufact

 

[John221us]

Pretty cool

 

[Old Geek]

If you like clockwork computers, take a look at a Torpedo Data Computer...
http://maritime.org/tech/tdc.htm

 

[BurtM]

Blast from the past, pretty cool though.

LIBRASCOPE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
http://www.cowardstereoview.com/analog/libra.htm

From here:

http://www.cowardstereoview.com/analog/index.html#manufact

If you like that, check out the old U.S. Navy fire control computers used for the big battleship guns in WWII. They were using a combination of optical rangefinders, radar and electromechanical computers to sink enemy ships. Seriously cool stuff...

 

[Rigged4Flight]

Wow. This thread was way cooler than I thought it was going to be!

 

[bullwinkle]

Just looking at the back of that thing gives me a headache. The guy who designed it is probably still in an asylum.

 

[X3 Skier]

I still remember the old Fridans we used for engineering calculations back in the 60's just before the IBM Mainframes came on line. Just for sheer amusement, if you divided anything by zero, that hummer would crank away until it disintegrated.

For more than you ever wanted to know about them, check this site out.

http://www.oldcalculatormuseum.com/fridenstw.html

Cheers

 

[Anthony]

If you like that, check out the old U.S. Navy fire control computers used for the big battleship guns in WWII. They were using a combination of optical rangefinders, radar and electromechanical computers to sink enemy ships. Seriously cool stuff...

I believe the guns also had gyroscopes to stabilize them as part of the fire control system.

 

[MAKG1]

I believe the guns also had gyroscopes to stabilize them as part of the fire control system.

At least one of their navigation "computers" is still alive and well, pointing the UCO/Lick 3m telescope.

 

[jkgoblue]

http://www.cowardstereoview.com/analog/libra.htm

What happen on that last picture? Did they destroy it???

 

[kontiki]

http://www.cowardstereoview.com/analog/libra.htm

What happen on that last picture? Did they destroy it???

No idea what happened there.

 

[fgcason]

http://www.cowardstereoview.com/analog/libra.htm

What happen on that last picture? Did they destroy it???

Either:
(a) Modern high tech leading edge professional attempt to reproduce the same exact thing.
or
(b) Parity Check 2