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Navigation and Bombing System Mk1, V Bomber, Valiant, Victor & Vulcan avionics
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Күн бұрынThis is an update/reboot of a series I uploaded some years ago.
The following couple of films, from 1959 show the principles and operation of the Navigation and Bombing System (NBS) Mk1 analogue navigation computing system as fitted in the RAF’s Valiant, Victor and Vulcan aircraft.
This worked with the H2S Mk9 Ground Mapping Radar to produce the navigation and bombing solution for these aircraft.
I 1st came across this system when I joined 617 Sqn in 1970 but it wasn't until 1974, after further training that I started to get to know and love this equipment.
I actually taught this, though without the bombing component at RAF Marham in the mid 80's finally saying good by in 1988 when I moved to AI24 Foxhunter Radar development.
As you watch these films you may see where my love of analogue systems comes from.
Part 1. Navigation Computing
Part 2. Bombing Computing
So grab a brew, sit back and enjoy.
@geoffarnold8483 3 жыл бұрын
WOW; as an avionics engineer I must say hats off to the technicians and engineers that serviced this equipment. Repairing old digital DME's was difficult enough but fully understanding analogue / mechanical navigation is truly incredible and sadly lost and not appreciated by today so call box changer avionics engineers with GPS and FMS systems. Thank you for posting these films.
@SpenCrowson 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks, glad you found it interesting.
@Zip104 Жыл бұрын
Sir, thank you!
@SpenCrowson Жыл бұрын
You are welcome 👍
@benpotter614 3 жыл бұрын
Fascinating, thank you! My big brother flew the Valiant and spoke of NBS in hushed tones all those years ago. I was expecting to have the mysteries of the magnetic variation component of navigation explained, which would have given clarity (or otherwise!) to the elusive 'dog turd' component!
@SpenCrowson 3 жыл бұрын
Ah yes, that was in the Nav Panel, a most interesting analogue device. Sadly I have no film of that. Glad you enjoyed the video though.
@tonystalker8266 3 жыл бұрын
Hi Spen, fascinating video, thanks for this. I doubt if you'll remember but I remember you from the RAF Scampton gin palace in about 1975-76. I was an ex Tech App doing improver training and spent some time in the NBS bay. I seem to remember that you had a motorbike & sidecar and we used to go to the local pub on a Friday lunchtime and you gave me a lift once. Those were happy days!
@SpenCrowson 3 жыл бұрын
Hi, must admit I don't remember you, but yes we did have some good times in the NBS bay
@pulsynetic 3 жыл бұрын
Excellent posting these Spen. I've been slowly piecing together the ADRIS (Automatic Dead Reconing Instrumentation System) and TPIS (Tactical Position Indicator System) from the Shackleton Bomber, so can fully appreciate all the comments on 'M' Type transmission. I'd sort of pieced the history of the development of ADRIS from the development of the Distant Reading Compass and Air Milage Unit Mk.1 through the development of the API/GPI instruments, then finaly the addition of Doppler groundspeed and drift. I always wondered where the NBS system fitted in, if it used any of the same components. Now I realise that , though many of the prinicpals were the same, the execution was quite different in the NBS. I must get round to putting some of the ADRIS clips on KZfaq.
@SpenCrowson 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the comment, from what I remember from working on the training Shackletons at Cosford, in the early 70's, the ASV radar was based around the H2S Mk9 which was the radar side of the NBS system.
@douglascharnley8249 Жыл бұрын
Would love to see your info on the ADRIS setup. Was tweaked when I saw the Air Position Indicator on a video of the Halifax bomber navigator's position. Also included in the video was the Drift Recorder MK2 which was installed on the Shackleton.
@notmenotme614 2 жыл бұрын
The first video goes to show how difficult and complex navigation was before GPS. Now you can simply type in your destination and the digital computer does it all for you.
@SpenCrowson 2 жыл бұрын
True, but with this old analogue tech you didn't have to rely on satellite signals that are subject to jamming etc.
@haljohnson6947 2 жыл бұрын
amazing how they stored bomb drop data on film as square dots.
@SpenCrowson 2 жыл бұрын
I remember when I did the course in 74 I found it totally fascinating.
@MikeCaffyn1 2 жыл бұрын
As an ex Navinstie on 214, love it.
@SpenCrowson 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the comment, I spent my 1st 18 years in the RAF working on and teaching this equipment and hence I find any analogue computing equipment very interesting.
@paulsharpe0606 4 жыл бұрын
That was a bit to complicated for my brain Spen .but a good insight to analogue equipment back in the old days .. good to hear you talk about your engineering background too
@SpenCrowson 4 жыл бұрын
Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.
@MikeCaffyn1 2 жыл бұрын
PS - My favorite though was the clockwork periscopic sextant. Happy Days they were.
@SpenCrowson 2 жыл бұрын
I had one of those in my training room at Marham, with hindsight I should have taken it with me on posting.
@ommadammo 3 жыл бұрын
I was OK until he got the strip of film out. WTF?!.... Anyways, the math they were trying to solve has not changed. We just got better tools. Wonderful analogue computing stuff here.
@SpenCrowson 3 жыл бұрын
Yep when the RadNav jammed the cassette, that was a slab of beer job for the bay, and Maths, Maths never changes :)
@ommadammo 3 жыл бұрын
@@SpenCrowson "They think they are untouchable Sir, but we have a bombay full of jam to chuck on them. They won't be expecting that. Gets in the gears and all over the film Sir."
@christineayres5339 3 жыл бұрын
Well the guys back then sure were good at Calculus , nowadays us youngsters stop at Algebra and if you want to do Calculus its a Degree course at Uni
@SpenCrowson 3 жыл бұрын
And all done without the aid of computers as we know them today.
@christineayres5339 3 жыл бұрын
@@SpenCrowson Yeah most Colleges and Universities today even let students use calculator's if they are struggling 🙈 they definitely wouldn't have survived in the old days 😬
@m8081679 2 жыл бұрын
Great stuff. I don't suppose you had any experience with the GPI Mk7 during your time?
@SpenCrowson 2 жыл бұрын
Only when I worked on the flight line, when I was a mech.
@benrideout8173 2 жыл бұрын
Are there any Vulcan restoration groups looking for volunteers?
@SpenCrowson 2 жыл бұрын
Have a trawl around the FB Vulcan/V Bomber groups also check Google for Museums looking for volunteers.
@mikedinn2838 3 жыл бұрын
I first met H2S, the radar part of NBS, at EMI in 1956. And was also responsible for setting up a complete NBS at Hayes. All to do with PDS - Post Design Support - to the RAF. Never saw it in an aircraft, however , until 1964, when at Darwin on RAAF trials of the Mirage3, and and there was a grounded RAF Vulcan. So hit a look.
@SpenCrowson 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for your comment, it's quite an amazing piece of kit, I loved working on it.
@mikedinn2838 3 жыл бұрын
@@SpenCrowson have you seen the page of a Netherlands lady who has a complete NBS system set up? www.tatjavanvark.nl/tvve/dduck0.html
@SpenCrowson 3 жыл бұрын
@@mikedinn2838 Yes I have, the kit is quite rare now, not many parts made it to museums.
@francishumphreys9664 2 жыл бұрын
I was recently watching a live broadcast of a funeral in Spain. It was of my dear friend and fellow N.B.S. Fitter Clement read. He was known as the King of the Calculator 3. I was the Super setter upperer of the Indicator 301. Happiness and sadness in equal measure.