WWII fire control 'computers'

From: Doug Coward <mranalog_at_attbi.com>
Date: Wed Jan 1 00:55:01 2003

   Jules Richardson asks:
> Does anyone know anything about the mechanical fire control computers as used
> in second world war for UK coastal defence batteries?

   Do you know who the manufacturer was?
   I have started web pages for Ford Instrument,
and Arma Corporation. And I have some information
on them.

  I also received this email just last Sunday from
David Mindell, Associate Professor of the History
of Engineering and Manufacturing at MIT:
> ....... You might be interested in my new book,
> Between Human and Machine: Feedback, Control, and
> Computing before Cybernetics (Johns Hopkins, 2002).
> It has a lot of heretofore unkown history of analog
> computing, including the Ford Instrument Company,
> Sperry, Arma, naval fire control, early Bell Labs
> analog electrical computers ("operational amplifiers,")
> Philbrick, etc. Even a Librascope computer, not unlike
> the one on your page, incorporated into the Mark 56
> radar-controlled gun director.

 I have not had a chance to see a copy of this book yet.
 But you might look for a copy of this book, or email
the author at mindell at mit dot edu and ask him.
 --Doug
=========================================
Doug Coward
_at_ home in Poulsbo, WA

Analog Computer Online Museum and History Center
http://dcoward.best.vwh.net/analog
=========================================
Received on Wed Jan 01 2003 - 00:55:01 GMT

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