Thursday, April 3, 2025

From the USAF museum: The range/charge calculator for a German 88 flak gun

 


Thanks, Seamus

16 comments:

  1. Fantastic weapon.

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  2. From one who collects manual calculators, this is very cool. That is cooler than a Bygrave slide rule.

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  3. I don't see a setting for "Kentucky Windage".
    That is probably one of the reasons that bomber crews had a higher casualty rate than Marines in the South Pacific.

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  4. The math and engineering in that piece of equipment. <---- Viewing it, I keep thinking this on repeat.

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  5. well done.
    -at that, remember the Curta?
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curta
    why did I never just buy one?

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    1. Dad was a tool designer at Boeing in the 50s and 60s. He bought one. I have it.
      A beautiful piece of jewelry.

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  6. Would it not also have a scale for setting the fuse so the shell explodes at the correct altitude?
    Al_in_Ottawa

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  7. Good job maga you ruined America

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  8. Not brought to you by US Department of Edumaction

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  9. seamus1962@gmail.comApril 3, 2025 at 7:44 PM

    There is a system on the base (leg supports) of the gun that calibrates the round for explosion at a certain altitude. I know this because I walk by it on a regular basis as this Flak 88 is at the local museum. I will find a picture.

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  10. I would like to see the device that was used to calculate fuel for the V2 rocket.

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  11. My eye doctor has a similar one.

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  12. Ole Franz really knew his shit….

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  13. Imagine the system set up to train the machinists to make hundreds or thousands of those things without computer control (presuming slave labor was not used. . . . . ).

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  14. This is an interesting image. I used the Google image compare function, and the device seems to be an MG 34 - 42 accessory, a Meßdreieck. It is supposed to help machine gun crews measure triangles in order to lay the guns for accurate fire.

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