December 7th Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 145:
Description
This is an extremely complex and historically paramount assembly of U.S. Army Air Forces bombing equipment, identified as a component of the secret Norden Bombsight system, specifically the Model M-9B w/Reflex Sight apparatus, which played a critical, though technologically sensitive role in Allied precision bombing during World War II. This massive mechanical and optical instrument was essential for calculating the exact trajectory for bomb release, and the main unit is identifiable as a bombsight component manufactured by LUKAS-HAROLD CORP. The assembly integrates a specialized aiming device, a U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES REFLEX SIGHT, TYPE X-1, manufactured by THE W. L. MAXSON CORP., which provided the bombardier with a reflected reticle for manual corrections or low-altitude sighting. This system, which utilized complex mechanical linkages, geared controls, and precision optics, represented the pinnacle of U.S. wartime fire control technology, installed in virtually all major U.S. bombers from the B-17 to the B-29. The unit retains an original AF FORM 50B inspection tag from September 1957, which classifies it as SERVICEABLE, INCOMPLETE, confirming its long institutional use into the early Cold War era. This comprehensive, multi-component assembly of a key piece of American military history is a museum-quality artifact.
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