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Information about Bomb Sight

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An early bombsight.
A bombsight is a device used by bomber aircraft to assist in the task of accurately dropping bombs on a ground target. Although it could be as simple as a set of crosshairs, the term generally refers to more complicated devices that allow correction for various factors that affect the ballistic trajectory of the dropped ordnance. These include, but are not limited to, the altitude, airspeed, and heading of the aircraft, the wind, and the aerodynamic properties of the specific bomb. The Norden bombsight, used by the Allies in World War II, brought all of these factors together and was a major technical achievement that for the first time enabled high-precision, high-altitude bombing under certain conditions.

Beginning in the 1950s, more modern bombsights replaced the analog computer in the Norden with electronic ones, and became increasingly integrated into the weapons system of the host aircraft. They may be controlled by the pilot directly and provide information through the heads-up display or a video display on the instrument panel. The specific functions of the bombsight are further blurred as bombs with in-flight guidance, such as laser-guided bombs or those using GPS replace "dumb" gravity bombs.
bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs.

Classifications of bombers

Strategic bombers are primarily designed for long-range strike missions with bombs against strategic targets such as supply bases, bridges, factories,
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bomb is an explosive device that generates and releases its energy very rapidly. The explosion creates a violent, destructive shock wave. Bombs cause destruction and injury to objects and living things within the blast radius by the crushing action of the shockwave (pressure) and
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Ballistics (gr. ba'llein, "throw") is the science of mechanics that deals with the motion, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, gravity bombs, rockets, or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a
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trajectory of a projectile under the influence of Earth's gravity.

In the equations on this page, the following variables will be used:
  • g: the gravitational acceleration—usually taken to be 9.

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Norden bombsight was a bombsight used by the United States Army Air Force during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War to aid the crew of bomber aircraft in dropping bombs accurately. Its operation was a closely guarded secret of World War II.
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Allied powers:
 Soviet Union
 United States
 United Kingdom
 China
 France
...et al. Axis powers:
 Germany
 Japan
 Italy
...et al.
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worldwide view.


2nd millennium
Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century

1920s 1930s 1940s - 1950s - 1960s 1970s 1980s
1950 1951 1952 1953 1954
1955 1956 1957 1958 1959

- -
- The 1950s
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Norden bombsight was a highly sophisticated optical/mechanical analog computer used by the United States Army Air Force during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War to aid the pilot of a bomber aircraft in dropping bombs accurately.
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A heads-up display, or HUD, is any transparent display that presents data without obstructing the user's view. Although they were initially developed for military aviation, HUDs are now used in commercial aircraft, automobiles, and other applications.
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GBU is also a common shorthand form of the film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Precision-guided munitions (smart munitions, smart bombs, guided bomb units or GBUs
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A laser-guided bomb (LGB) is a precision-guided munition (PGM) that uses semi-active laser homing to strike a designated target with greater accuracy than a free-fall bomb. LGBs are one of the most common and widespread PGMs, used by a large number of the world's air forces.
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Global Positioning System (GPS) is the only fully functional Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Utilizing a constellation of at least 24 medium Earth orbit satellites that transmit precise microwave signals, the system enables a GPS receiver to determine its
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gravity bomb is an aircraft-delivered bomb that does not contain a guidance system and hence, simply follows a ballistic trajectory.

This described all aircraft bombs until the latter half of World War II and the vast majority until the late 1980s.
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