toolbreaker wrote:
On May 20, 6:29 am, wrote:
On May 19, 7:01 pm, Bob wrote:

Cool!

When I saw "analog", I thought electrical analog, i.e., op amps. But
this is _mechanical_. Levers& gears& cams! Solving problems with
"... up to 26 variables ..."!!! Continuously. Yow!

Bob

Thanks for the post; I served my Machinist apprentice at the Frankford
Arsenal in Philadelphia, 1955 to 1959. I worked as a machine operator
prior to being drafted to the Korean war. (in the army Signal corp., I
was train as a field radio repairman, but I digress) I returned and
entered the apprenticeship program. As a class project the class ahead
of mine built a complete artillery fire control unit with the all of
the gears, cams and slides as I see in the video. I am sure that it
was still classified so we didn't get to really understand its
functions.
The Fire control section of the Arsenal was for the most part had
limited access. But as machinist, we sometime had to use equipment and
did visit some of the areas.

My Dad was a Navy Fire Control Tech during WWII. He has told me
about the mechanical analog computers used to solve the ballistic
differential equation. They used spinning platters and rubber wheels
for integrators. The early twentieth century was the golden age of
mechanical design not sure we have the experience to design something
like that now days. Now it can be done with a 25 cent
microcontroller.

Much of this stuff was still around in the
70's and 80's. I can't speak for the Navy,
but the Army's Pershing I and Nike Herc missiles
used extensive mechanical computation devices
to solve ballistic flight and intercept equations.

The centerpiece of the Pershing I guidance
computer was a beautifully crafted ball-and
disk integrator.