Landships II

Brian A Tomlin · Private

Aircraft Height Finding Machine

Ralph Lovett · General

Brian

�

I am not sure about the Paterson-Walsh device but optical instuments were used to find the range to a target including aircraft.� This is an example of a WW1 range finder used�against aircraft in my collection:

http://www.lovettartillery.com/Goertz_Range_Finder.html

R/

Ralph

�

-- Edited by Ralph Lovett on Monday 7th of November 2011 08:49:43 PM

Rectalgia · Legend

Brian,

I was hopeful there would be a patent application somewhere, with drawings, but my patent-finding zen has deserted me. The information sheet from the Science Museum you posted in the Great War Forum - http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=153560&view=findpost&p=1486586¹ - should be enough detail if anyone else wants to have a go. I only tried Google patents. Maddening - Paterson was famous in his day (some sources say his OBE was for the height finder but I haven't been able to locate the citation in the London Gazette) and Walsh was no lightweight either.

¹noting (British, presumably) "patent specification No. 4379 of 1916"

Steve

-- Edited by Rectalgia on Tuesday 8th of November 2011 04:32:32 AM

Brian A Tomlin · Private

Hi Ralph and Steve
Thank you for taking the trouble to reply to my request for information.

I have been researching the Height Finder for almost six years all to no avail, but in the last eight weeks I have had a breakthrough and managed to get pictures of the machine and the War Office handbook relating to it.(originally printed in 1917)

The pictures are on the Great War Forum site under the heading UPDATE on the Height Finding Machine
http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=169817

The 6th and 7th picture on the Great War Forum is of the Height Indicator Box, I have just recently managed to acquire an original one of these in great condition.

You will see from the pictures that each part of the machine has an alphabetic letter beside it, I am currently studying the handbook trying to find details of these parts, I am nearly there and will shortly be posting the details on the Forum.

I am a new member to this Forum, and if you think it worthwhile I will gladly post all the pictures of the Height Finding Machine on here to save any interested member the trouble of looking at the Great World War Forum.

I am hoping that maybe members of this Forum will have some old pictures of the Height Finder in a working situation and better still know if one still exist anywhere that I can see plus scale plans enabling me to eventually try and build a model.

Steve, I have also searched for the patent details, like you had no luck, however I do know that some of the Machine was based on something called the Bennett-Pleydell roof System and an item with the heading Bennett Height Finder has been found at the National Archives in Kew, a friend will shortly be calling into Kew to research this further, maybe some patent details will be contained in the information.

Thanks again

Brian