Conservative. Idaho. Software engineer. Historian. Trying to prevent Idiocracy from becoming a documentary.
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"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." -- Rom. 8:28
In Vietnam we used something called the FADAC, Field Artillery Digital Automatic Computer, a general purpose transistorized computer programmed for the guns and rounds of the time. I just learned that all but on example were destroyed because they used radium in the dials. I had a short course in using it at Ft. Sill in the Fire Direction Control AIT course. Recently I watched a bunch of videos about the old analog computers used on warships for setting the guns. Fascinating stuff and used throughout the life of the Iowa Class Battleships. Replacing them with digital alternatives late in their lives was deemed not to be needed. Ship speed, course, range to target, windspeed and direction, target speed and course, etc. we’re all cranked into the device. The inputs moved various types of cams. The firing solution would specify the angle and elevation as well as the number of bags of propellant. One issue they had later on was that the propellants were WWII vintage and aging had changed their characteristics. This old powder may have been implicated in the tragic explosion aboard the Iowa in 1989.
Tres Cool!
ReplyDeleteIn Vietnam we used something called the FADAC, Field Artillery Digital Automatic Computer, a general purpose transistorized computer programmed for the guns and rounds of the time. I just learned that all but on example were destroyed because they used radium in the dials. I had a short course in using it at Ft. Sill in the Fire Direction Control AIT course.
Recently I watched a bunch of videos about the old analog computers used on warships for setting the guns. Fascinating stuff and used throughout the life of the Iowa Class Battleships. Replacing them with digital alternatives late in their lives was deemed not to be needed. Ship speed, course, range to target, windspeed and direction, target speed and course, etc. we’re all cranked into the device. The inputs moved various types of cams. The firing solution would specify the angle and elevation as well as the number of bags of propellant. One issue they had later on was that the propellants were WWII vintage and aging had changed their characteristics. This old powder may have been implicated in the tragic explosion aboard the Iowa in 1989.