GUNNERY IN THE B-29

[Music] [Applause] as everyone knows good shooting has always been an American heritage Wow friggin jewel scholars again I should be an aerial gunner gee it must be fun to be an aerial gunner [Music] and everyone knows that the b-29 with its remote-controlled turret system is the dream of every gunner this is the blister sighting station that is the GE ret afflicted gun site the electrical impulses it sends to the computer oh the computer is under the floor but it figures the deflections and offsets your guns automatically all the guns there in a turret under the fuselage you can't even see them yes Joe you're a lucky man surrounded by the best equipment flying at undreamed-of altitudes and because of the pressurized chamber you don't even have to wear an oxygen mask why was such a setup you should make a great aerial go I never should have enlisted what do you mean why don't they just give me a gun because good shooting takes more than guns Joe do you want a simple demonstration sure I ain't busy you see it takes this equipment to solve the complex firing problems of modern aerial combat problems who's got problems well in the old days the only factor that affected shooting was bullet drop for which the gunner learned to compensate later when firing from a fixed face at a moving target another problem was added forward speed of the target the gunner now had to estimate lead or where the target would be by the time his bullet reached it whatever gunner fired from a moving base he had to consider the forward motion imparted to his bullet in air combat the gunner had to fire from a moving platform at a moving target this required that he estimate range and allow the proper deflection for the targets forwards feet and the forward speed imparted to the bullet that's what I mean just give me a gun well with the higher speeds of today you have to make some very quick decisions Robert you aim how much lead Osito all the gunners of history had a gun but you the modern gunner have the remote-controlled turret system the answer to all your firing problems in the air yeah okay yeah but what's all this that is a simple mock-up of the three basic elements of the system oh yeah a sight a footlocker and the guns not a footlocker Joe that's the computer what's that for these guys could shoot without one that's where you've got the jump on them Joe this guy had to figure bullet drop himself this guy had to estimate lead this guy had to allow for the forward motion of the bullet but when the navigator sets in your altitude and airspeed the computer makes the allowance this Joker had all the problems and the computer solves all the problems what am I supposed to do sweep out the plane no Joe your job is to tell a computer where the target is and what it is doing and to do that you have to operate the site now let's take a simple breakdown of the site itself okay let's basically it consists of a reticle projected on a combining glass by an optical unit in order to move this it is mounted on an axle with hand wheels which sits on a yoke making a universal joint the rest is simply electrical equipment which tells the computer what you're doing and just what am i doing you're framing the target you pick him up in your sight and keep him framed in the reticle every movement of your sight send certain impulses into the computer which immediately gets the necessary answer [Music] and apps that's your guns yeah where he is and what he's doing moving platform deflections bullet drop forward speed imparted to the rabbit hey yeah this I was saying that this wheel is busted no that's your range wheel by turning it you control the size of the reticle that's how you tell a computer where he is how it's quite simple on the front of the site is the target dimension knob and above the reticle is a dial marked off in feet from 35 to 150 by setting this dial with the knob you tell a computer the size of the target and how do I know that that's why you have course is an identification oh say this plane is a xiq wingspan 39 feet after the wingspan dial is set you turn the range wheel until a target is just framed in the circle of the dots right to the edge of the wing tips now the computer knows how far away he is by Framing the target accurately at all time dodge yes didn't you say that if I keep this reticle on the target the confused with instant patiently offset the guns precisely then why did Allah with these things because unless you set in the target size and range the computer won't give you the right deflection give me a for instance okay remember your platform is moving at a high speed yeah I bet he can fly and paint with this now here's your line of sight here's where your guns are pointing if your range wheel is set for this distance as long as you track the target the computer will allow the proper deflection if you track a faster one the computer will allow a greater deflection automatically right that's my point here's my point let's say it takes the bullet one second to reach a plane at distance say another plane is closer to you here and flying at the same rate of speed since it will take your bullet only a half a second to reach him the plane can only move to here but as you see it a plane farther away appears to move slower than a plane closer in even though they are actually moving at the same speed if you track the far guy your guns will offset this much and that's right right but if you track the near guy your guns will offset this much right and that's wrong wrong why because your lead must be decreased for the closer guy since your bullets take less time to get there so by Framing the plane with the range will you tell a computer where he is and it automatically decreases the offset to obtain the right deflection in short you just identify him set your target dimension dial frame him accurately and smoothly and you're sure to hit him you're right duck I never miss watch me wait it's not that easy look down there what's that a typical enemy attack on a bomber framed by an average gunner after an hour's practice with a sight oh and average gonna watch me try one okay get down there and take that average Gunners please now if you're flying along here notice how the fighter appears to you so here's your sight the way they train goodness me and here's your projected reticle let's see you frame him yeah he's a dead duck just frame is two wingtips it is frame Oh another guy now all are chasing this guy all our frame he yeah frame frame appeared out down here who the free I should have framed them how about a slower one as you wish here it is wingspan 35 feet 35 feet he's a dead duck this time up Hey what hurry up Joey's coming in that's practically perfect not in terms of your bullets by Framing too small you told the computer that the target was back here moving this way look at what would happen to your bullets since the computer is predicting on an entirely false course the guns would be offset too far along here so as long as your range wheel is set wrong your bullets won't hit now let's continue I'm ready here they come but there it is smooth I'm getting closer almost right yeah you're getting closer Joe getting brought I had them give me another one full speed okay from the beginning let him come uh frankly Joe do you know what kind of a plane that is yeah seek no Frank Frank yo thanks wingspan 37 feet he's a dead duck yeah just Framus wingtip hope he's coming fast trying to smooth down the little range on the heat oh the triggers they're mounted on the site here you press them with your thumbs now he tells me such training methods yeah hold it till I frame him like I had them there let it go I got him of course no you froze up on you're fired you've got to continue framing when you are triggering it's a matter of learning to coordinate with your hands coordinate what am i oh you can learn it remember when you first learned to drive at car do you remember trying to shift gears throw in the clutch and steer all at once before long you were doing all this besides playing the radio Tooting the horn working a spotlight and making the motor backfire and fight them all right I did it all with one hand and with a little practice Joe you'll master the site - then you can take your rightful place in a b-29 sighting station [Music] our line distinct if it takes all night [Music] [Applause] so the b-29 Gunners ability does not involve a knowledge of ballistics or the mathematics of aerial deflection shooting his skill is determined by his manual control of the GE ret affected gun design he learns to shoot with his hands hands I learnt that last winter now look [Music]