Author Topic: Gunsight (Read 488 times)

Kermit de frog · « **on:** October 21, 2006, 11:42:18 AM »

Can someone show or tell me how the gunsight works for fighter aircraft of WWII?

I tried a google search, but for the las 20min, I can't find what I'm looking for.

My guess is that is may use a gyro, lightbulb and glass. But I'm curious as to why when I shift my head to the right or left, up or down, that my sight moves as well.

Treize69 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 21, 2006, 11:52:59 AM »

because its reflected, not a physical object. Works with those red-dot or red-X rifle sights too.

I don't really know how to explain the principle, but a "floating" reflection sight like that will sort of follow your eye as long as you move your head around.

Kinda like if you lock your eyes on a reflection in your computer monitor, like a window behind you, your eyes don't move nearly as much as your head does.

Dan216TH · « **Reply #2 on:** October 21, 2006, 01:01:50 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Treize69
because its reflected, not a physical object. Works with those red-dot or red-X rifle sights too.

what he said or it might be an electrical sight like on the F-86 "Sabre"

Treize69 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 21, 2006, 01:24:07 PM »

Think you're thinking of the K-14 lead-compensating sight. We don't have an LCS in AH.

gripen · « **Reply #4 on:** October 21, 2006, 01:51:10 PM »

Some presentations (thank you Google) here and here. The principle is presented (thank you Wikipedia) here.

gripen

Benny Moore · « **Reply #5 on:** October 21, 2006, 02:14:30 PM »

What they don't show is that in real life, with a reflected sight, you have to be looking exactly in a certain position. The tiniest of movements causes the pipper to move off of the glass and out of sight. It's very difficult trying to aim with one of these things in real life. Somewhere online there is a video of one of these gunsights actually being used. It demonstrates the difficulty of using them.

Kermit de frog · « **Reply #6 on:** October 21, 2006, 02:23:35 PM »

I understand now. Thanks for your help.

Curving the glass slightly is a key element in the system.

Very interesting technology we had in the 1940s.

Benny Moore · « **Reply #7 on:** October 21, 2006, 02:35:48 PM »

Hmm, I just checked on a real (modern) reflector gunsight, and it seems I was partially wrong. I said, "When you move, the reflected pipper doesn't move with you; it moves drastically in the opposite direction," but my memory served false. It does move with you, but it's a lot more drastic than in the game. The rest of my post stands.

Treize69 · « **Reply #8 on:** October 21, 2006, 03:31:28 PM »

If you watch the roaring glory videos (Im thinking of the P-40 one specifically) they show the pipper being on sometimes, and you can see how it moves in relation.

As long as you are looking roughly down the sight line (within a few degrees), the pipper is always centered in relation to the LOS.

Thats part of the reason that "gun" fighters have such small sighting reticles- fighters from the late '50s on, aircraft with laser and radar guided weapons, have much larger HUDs, since the weapon doesn't have to be fired by lining up the aircraft directly at the target.

Squire · « **Reply #9 on:** October 21, 2006, 04:21:14 PM »

Ring and bead sights are no easier to aim in a fighter, you also have to have them "lined up". In any case, deflection shooting is more about tracer fire and instinctive shooting tecniques anyways. With the reflector sights, you could also adjust the reticule to match the wingspan of an enemy a/c at a certain range, giving at least some range indication.

Benny Moore · « **Reply #10 on:** October 21, 2006, 05:20:08 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Squire
In any case, deflection shooting is more about tracer fire and instinctive shooting tecniques anyways.

Actually, deflection shooting is more about years of trial and error. It's fairly well known that in real life, tracers were not a reliable tool for high deflection shots, since the actual tracers lag behind the rest of the bullets. As they said, if your tracers are on target, chances are that the other four fifths of your bullets are not.

Xjazz · « **Reply #11 on:** October 21, 2006, 05:22:10 PM »

In off line; set a historical gunsight for your plane, turn icons off and start hunting those pesky drones...