Where and when were guns and cannon on replacement aircraft sighted in?

[Broncazonk]

The title sums it up. Where and when did replacement fighter aircraft go through the process of having their tails jacked up and their guns and cannon fired and adjusted for range and convergence--at the factory, at a supply depot, or after the aircraft was delivered to an operational unit?

How 'combat ready' were replacement aircraft when they arrived at a unit? How much work did the black men have to do to get it ready?

Thanks!

Bronc

[hanshauprich]

Hello,
the first sighted for the guns was at the factory. Then when needed at location, most airfields have had an Shooting Range (Einschießstand). At Feldflugplätzen (Air fields near the Combat Zone) the Range where at hoc built. There are a lot of photos from this Ranges.
h.

[edwest2]

Yes, I have seen many photos of this improvised method. The front wheels of the aircraft were secured. The back of the aircraft was raised to be level with the rest and secured. An aiming point was selected and the replaced or new guns were calibrated based on how close they came to the mark.

After combat, damage to relevant parts of the aircraft required attachment of new parts and guns which had to be tested after installation. As the war progressed, parts and guns were salvaged from otherwise not repairable aircraft.



Ed

[Snautzer]

Since we are talking about gear around the feldflugplatzen , did they have compass swings?

[ChrisMAg2]

There were no compass swings on simple landing grouds/ Feldflugplätze. That was a equipment of Fliegerhorst/ Einsatzflughafen/ evtl. Flugwerft.

[ClinA-78]

That was a equipment of Fliegerhorst/ Einsatzflughafen/ evtl. Flugwerft

So Grimbergen (near Brussels) is an exception ?

ClinA-78

[Snautzer]

2 types: Kompensierscheibe and Kompensierwaage.

Taken from LEMB, Piet Bouma:

A "Kompensierscheibe" (plural: Kompensierscheiben) is a large wooden disc that was reinforced by a wooden construction below the disc itself in a (sometimes even almost 2 meter deep) foundation. The entire disc could be moved around by hand power or by a motor located inside the foundation.
(When a "Kompensierscheibe" was not only used for calibrating the on-board aircraft compass, but also for calibrating the "Radio-Peilgerät" (for Radionavigation), it was referred to as a "Navigationsdrehscheibe" - hence the abbreviation ND in the type mentioned above...

The second group is the group referred to as a "Kompensierwaage" a word I have only come across once in a book in which the photograph of the Ju88 at St. André (see above) was portrayed. This is a circular concrete platform onto which they placed a wooden construction that could be pivoted around the point in the middle of the main landing gear. It is not completely sure if the aircraft was pivoted around this main landing gear or that the main landing gear was on a wooden disc as well; personally I don't think so - but I don't have proof for that... We are sure from the remains of such a Kompensierwaage at Grimbergen, Belgium that there was a wooden disc construction in the middle of it (probably a bit smaller than 2 meters). I think it carried the beginning of the wooden construction, so that it could pivot easily.

[ChrisMAg2]

Originally Posted by ClinA-78

So Grimbergen (near Brussels) is an exception ?

ClinA-78

Grimberghen is said to have a Kompensierwaage. But then, yes, it seems to be an exception.

See here, post #6.

Beside Grimberghen, also the satellite air field Roggenthin (DE) is said to have had a Kompensierwaage.

[Broncazonk]

From start to finish, how long did the process take? The aircraft would have to be towed to the firing range, properly aligned, jacked up, test fired, adjusted, test fired again, adjusted, test fired again, etc..

It had to be a time and labor intensive process.

Bronc

[Kutscha]

Before firing the guns they had to sighted in. There was an instrument attached to the gun to do so.