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eppur_se_muova

(40,036 posts)
2. I saw a video doc not too long ago on the *computerized* fire control system ...
Fri Sep 19, 2025, 04:32 PM
Friday
Analog computers in the B-29 central fire control system made corrections in three main areas to accurately aim the aircraft’s guns: ballistics, lead, and parallax.

Ballistics is the behavior of a projectile once it leaves the muzzle of a gun. The two main considerations when calculating ballistics are the pull of gravity and the resistance from air pressure that could push the bullet back, which can greatly change in varying conditions

Lead refers to the compensation for how much a target moves in the time it takes a bullet to reach it. To hit a fast moving target, guns may have to be aimed as much as 200 yards ahead of the enemy.

Parallax error occurs because the angle to the target from the gunner’s sight is different from the angle to the target from a turret located several yards away. The computer calculates the parallax error and ensures that the guns fire at the target sighted by the gunner. The computers made these three corrections so that a gunner could simply point his sight at the target he wished to hit.


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more: https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/defending-superbomber-b-29s-central-fire-control-system

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