Avro Lancaster - Navigator’s Position

[@karlaiken6152]

Hello Brian. Thanks for this video. I had a wonderful old friend, now deceased, who was a brilliant RAF navigator (Flt. Lt. William (Ricky) Richardson, a Jamaican, who flew with several squadrons including the famous raids to sink the "Tirpitz" and those to bomb Hitler's mountain retreat, Berechtesgarten. These old vets are mostly gone now, but your videos help to preserve their bravery and their memory. "Lest we Forget".

[@daviddaniken7248]

New subscriber here. Thanks for the great videos. I was a navigator on U.S. Marine KC130's in the late 80's and early 90's. Plenty of times on 2,000+ mile overwater flights with just a sextant, basic instruments, and some math skills. Our basic navigation school took about 9 months and then another 4-8 months to be completely qualified. The men that navigated those Lancasters were getting the job done with about half the gear we had. Much respect to their skill and courage!

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks for sharing. Welcome aboard David!

[@jgrenwod]

By the mid 80s we had palletized Litton INUs that were always set up in any Marine KC-130 that was going over water. The students weren’t allowed to use it.

[@christopherfinn7986]

Hi Bryan. Very interesting, but a bit inaccurate in some areas. The Air Mileage Unit did not output speed but air distance travelled with, if I recall correctly, 24 revolutions per mile. In the AIR POSITION Indicator this was resolved with the true heading from the Distant Reading Compass, via the VSC, to produce changes in latitude and longitude which updated the initial position the nav set on the counters on the right of the API. These were lat & long, not bearings. This then showed the AIR Position, ie position in the air mass but not corrected for wind. The nav would then plot the Air Position on his chart and add the wind vector, for the time from the last fix, to show the GROUND Position. If fitted this could also be done using the GROUND Position Indicator. In this case the nav would set his latest Wind on the GPI, harmonise it with the API and set it running, the GPI then projecting a constantly updated Ground position onto the chart below. This technique was particularly used by No 5 & 8 Gp nav’s for accurate target marking. I used the API occasionally during basic nav training in 1973, ending up many years later as OC the Air Navigation School at RAF Finningley ! Do pm me if you’d like more info on the subject. Rgds Chris

[@10toMidnight]

I’ve now watched all the crew videos and the age old question of who’s expendable is answered in my opinion as no one. What a beautiful aircraft. Thank you for posting.

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

I certainly agree and thanks for watching!

[@cycleSCUBA]

Fascinating series of video lectures. I have no technical background but still interesting to see the instruments and equipment the crews used. I can imagine a navigator working away, trying to stay focussed while being bombarded by flak or enemy fighters. Brave and heroic an understatement. 🇬🇧🌹

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks for sharing and watching!

[@greybeardmodels]

Hi Bryan, another excellent video. Great source of reference. Many thanks. Cheers Bob 👍

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@PDZ1122]

Really interesting stuff. I never heard of that map projection thingy. Keep it up.

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks, will do!

[@robertspence831]

Very thorough. Looking forward to more.

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Awesome, thank you!

[@andrewbrereton1921]

Brilliant! only just found you,fascinating .

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks and welcome aboard!

[@jamesbrowne6351]

Just popped up on my list. Zeroed right in on it and was thoroughly impressed. Look forward to checking out your other videos.

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks for watch - much more to come!

[@davegoldsmith4020]

Thanks Bryan, I have enjoyed these videos, I am so glad they are online, They tell an important story and expand our knowledge of those times, just as much as watching a Lancaster in the sky. I hope you are getting a lot of positive feedback.

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks for your kind feedback Dave - very much appreciated. These videos are very hard work to research, create and put together. I can only hope that in time, I will reach more people who will appreciate this type of content. As I really need to somehow get the views up! Thanks again and have a great weekend.

[@kimchipig]

@@ukaircraftexplored6556 I am bewildered why your content isn't getting more views. Please don't give up, Bryan! You are teaching me a lot!

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

@@kimchipig I don't understand it either, still, I'll keep going! Thanks Len

[@cycleSCUBA]

They're invaluable for detailing exactly what each crewman did and have tremendous historical importance, like keeping Vera, Thumper, etc airworthy.

[@kimchipig]

Bryan, new subscriber here. This video taught me all about RAF navigation methodology in WW2. I had known very little about it. Thank you for this video. I sincerely hope the algorithm bumps your pieces up.

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks for subscribing Len. I'm glad my video was helpful to you. Yes, KZbin has certainly been kinder to me last week, promoting my FN.64 Mid-Lower Gun Turret video which was originally posted back in August last year. I'm not sure why or how, but it is very welcome and the massive increase in views and subscribers illustrates that there are a lot of people out there who would appreciate my content, but just didn't know it existed. I have many more in-depth videos coming, so please watch this space! Thanks again for watching

[@SpinStar1956]

Excellent! 😀

[@pontymike56]

great video again,

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for watching

[@michaelkiehn9254]

Thanks so much for making this! I am making a large scale model Lancaster with a highly detailed interior and the contents of this video will take the realism to the next level! It has also provided an invaluable insight into the purpose of the various components I am modelling.

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Glad I could help Michael, thanks so much for watching!

[@michaelkiehn9254]

@@ukaircraftexplored6556 I gave you a shout out in my Instagram as this KZbin channel will be invaluable for our model making. You might want to consider adding a 'super thanks' button to your uploads as I would definitely like to contribute a few dollars to reflect the value that your videos have added to my work. Much better than a reference book!!

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

@@michaelkiehn9254 Thanks Michael, I'll have to look into the Super Thanks!

[@spigot993]

I own an Astro Compass MKII, I am curious; exactly where does it mount and on what bracket etc? I have the base for it too, which includes a broad arrow and AFT marking.

[@jameswebb4593]

Great video as are all of yours , just a point . Have you mixed up your Oboes and Gee's From what I've read Oboe had the lattice type map with a range around 400 mls , and accurate within 8 /9 mls . Whilst Gee was extremely accurate within yards but could only handle one aircraft at a time. GeeH a later version could cope with 3 or 4 but still limited to less then 300 mls. This fails to explain as how was the American navigators were so poor , frequently bombing not just the wrong town /city but the wrong country , Switzerland , Holland , Czechoslovakia .

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Hi James, I don't think I've mixed up GEE with Oboe. The original GEE used the hyperbolic lattice map system, you mention. Gee was read by the navigator on an oscilloscope CRT display. GEE was accurate to the order of kilometres, which was useful for navigation and area bombing, but not pinpoint accuracy. Oboe, however, did not work on a visual basis with a map like GEE. The Navigator would use GEE for general navigation, and once closer to the target area, Oboe range signals would be sent out by UK-based operators using a tone generator producing Morse code dots or dashes. This was similar to the beam approach systems used like Lorenz. A solid tone would tell the crew when to release their bombs or target indicators. Hope this helps and thanks for watching.

[@jameswebb4593]

@@ukaircraftexplored6556 Thanks for putting me right on that one . Google the font of all knowledge said that Oboe could be accurate to 50 yards . True or false . ? Which doesn't explain how the Yanks failed to find the target so often , they nearly missed Berlin.

[@aaronhrk]

Great work again! 👏

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thank you so much 😀

[@samwestwell5982]

I learnt a lot, thankyou

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks for watching

[@godgunzndrumz]

Great Video, Thank You

[@robertwalker7457]

Very interesting thankyou.

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@thierryruellan1828]

I just have one important question. How were aircrews selected. Who could find out after recruitment which was the right man at the right place? What kind of tests could determine who was to be a pilot or a navigator,a wireless operator, bomb aimer, flight engineer or gunner? Education background, motivation? Who could detect aptitudes, individual talents to be qualified to be here or there?

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Sound like the need for another video

[@Eric-kn4yn]

How . Y hours training did navigators have

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

If I find out, I'll let you know

[@crawfordcruickshank5001]

Fascinating detail and great shots of all the nav. equipment. What I've always been slightly mystified about is WHY OH WHY? DR Compass was set to TRUE HEADING? I am a modern day Cessna-scale PPL and even with all our current technology the HSI still gives MAGNETIC heading and VOR radials are MAGNETIC. I can see that the API Unit would require TRUE heading to calculate position but I can't see why the correction wasn't simply applied to API repeater and the others were left on magnetic heading? The pilot would have been staring at a DR Repeater showing True Hdg and down below he had a P4 compass showing Magnetic. On his blind flying panel he ALSO had a DI Gyro which he would regularly align with his compass. But WHICH one? Also I'd be interested to know exact dates of introduction of DR Compass and API. Were they brought into service simultaneously? Or was there a period when the DR Compass was in use on its own? And if so was it left on Magnetic Hdg?

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks for watching and sharing. The Distant Reading Compass was standard equipment in most multi-engined aircraft in the RAF throughout World War II until it was replaced by the Sperry ‘Gyrosyn’ compass. It consists of a master unit containing both the gyro and magnetic elements normally stowed in a part of the aircraft away from large masses of magnetic material which would distort the Earth’s magnetic field. This master unit feeds, through an electrical transmission system, repeater compass cards on the pilot’s and navigator’s panels and wherever heading indications are required. The complete compass system operates from the aircraft 24 V DC supply. The pilot or navigator has control switches for starting and stopping the master unit and a variation setting corrector control to adjust the repeaters to read true instead of magnetic heading. A complete system comprises a master unit, variation setting corrector, a control switch box and a number of repeaters. The master unit holds the magnetic element, the gyroscope, the monitoring and follow-up mechanism and the transmitter for operating the repeaters. The complete assembly is suspended in gimbals. The system uses an electric magnetic inductor element fixed to the aircraft in azimuth which detects the direction of the Earth’s magnetic field relative to the aircraft and transmits this information electrically to the gyro element. The D.R. Compass was developed by the Automatic Telephone and Electric Company (in 1961 merged with Ericsson Telecommunications and Plessey to form Plessey Telecommunications) and the Royal Aircraft Establishment from a model originally produced by the Air Ministry and S.G. Brown Ltd in 1934. Some 30,000 of these instruments were made at the A.T.& E. Strowger Works in Liverpool during the WWII years. This unit was donated to the RAA by John Jenkinson whose Father acquired it from the Oxford University Physics Laboratory.

[@viking90706]

Well mate, I'm a subbie

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks for watching and Subbing!

[@libraryofchoid]

Hi Bryan, great video again. Can I ask if you came across any manuals for the API and GPI? I’m wondering why the API has 4 digits for L/L coords, and also what purpose the dials on the front of the GPI serve, and why they have only 6 numbers on them

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

If I can find out, I'll let you know. Thanks for watching

[@crawfordcruickshank5001]

I'd be interested to know if you turned up any manuals for API or GPI? btw there are only 4 digits because the API only gives position in Degrees and Minutes. It wasn't possible (or necessary) to give position to seconds since 1nm = 1minute. Also I believe the dials on the GPI are to adjust the position projector to the correct scale for the chart being used.

[@davidpearson243]

I surprised how technically advanced the Lancaster was just probably 10 or 15 years earlier you would have a road map !!!!!I I read that Lancasters crew would have been very familiar with the Vulcan instruments considering The Vulcan was still in service in the 1980’s

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Yes, I've heard that is true. some of the equipment fitted in the Vulcan was the same as in the Lancaster

[@oldschoolman1444]

Good thing I wasn't navigating, would have been lost in the first 5 minutes! 😅

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks for watching!

[@mikekay9616]

✔✔✔✔✔✔

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks for watching