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K-11 Compensating Gun Sight

1/16/2021

4 Comments

 
​This month’s featured artifact is the K-11 compensating gunsight, part #655441 serial # 1611 made by the Sperry Gyroscope Company of Brooklyn, New York.
 
The K-11 was used primarily in the nose turret of the Consolidated B-24 Heavy Bomber during WW2. The K-11 Compensating Gun Sight was a late war innovation that used the aircraft’s altitude and speed with the direct correlation of where the weapon was pointed to calculate the reticle. The aircraft altitude and speed was programmed into the dial shown on the rear of the sight. The correlation was determined by drive lines that connected the K-11 Sight to the turret.
 
A compensating sight offsets the line of sight only to compensate for the speed of the firing aircraft. These sights did not take into account target range, but based their calculation on the angle between the gun line and the aircraft axis, using two dimensional cams.
 
The museum’s piece is a nice clean example and shows the bore sighting instructions on the side as well as front and rear folding sights. It also features the rear sun shield, which you don’t find on many surviving examples. This could also be folded down rearward and out of the way when not required. Note the placard that states that it can only be used in the nose cone position only. The K-11’s sister sight, the K-13 was another compensating gun sight that could be used in the side and waist gun positions and was mounted directly on the rear housing of the .50 caliber machine guns in those positions.
4 Comments
Ronald W Westmoreland
8/18/2021 12:09:59 pm

My father, Marvin w. Westmoreland, SGT., was a "power turret & compensating gun sight specialist" in the armament section of the 453rd BG, 735th BS operating out of Station 44, "Old Buck" outside Norwich from 10-44 to 08-45. Thanks for the article. I listened to my father tell stories about his war time experiences countless times and never grew tired of listening. This is the first time I've ever seen a photo of the sight. Again thanks for the article.

Reply
Tom C
1/2/2022 07:32:53 pm

The K-10 model was used in the tail position. A friend saw one in an antique shop, and sent a picture. We used this article to identify the item

Reply
Beth Tucker link
3/20/2022 08:46:14 pm

I have one of these that I have acquired and would like to sell...if interested please contact me at this email address . I know very little about it other then what I have read online . I dont know the history behind this one . I just think that there must be someone out there that would really love this for their collection .

Reply
Beth Tucker
3/20/2022 08:48:22 pm

My email address is beth.tucker1974@yahoo.com

Reply



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    Welcome to the CAF MN Wing Blog. You will find information on projects we are working on, upcoming events, and more.
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Commemorative Air Force
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Fleet >
      • Aircraft >
        • North American B-25J
        • Vultee BT-13 Valiant
        • Ryan PT-22 Recruit
        • North American SNJ Texan
        • Stinson L-5 Sentinel
        • North American L-17 Navion
      • Vehicles >
        • 1942 Willys Jeep
        • 1942 Ford "Burma" 1-1/2 Ton Truck
        • 1954 Dodge M-37
        • 1942 Dodge WC-21
        • 1939 BSA Motorcycle
    • Visit
    • Calendar
    • Contact
    • Press
  • Join
  • History Flights
  • Events
    • Dances
    • Photo Ops
  • Donate
    • Sustaining Donor
    • Memorial Garden
    • Sponsors
  • News
  • Shop