Some Early Computers for Aviators

During the years between the World Wars aviation became established as a credible form of transport. Airmail delivery and passenger service gained acceptance with the civilian population, while aircraft for observation, transport, and combat roles were adopted by military and naval forces. A pre-requisite to routine air travel was the development of reliable methods of aerial navigation. In addition to new navigational techniques and instruments, numerous computational aids were developed to simplify the aerial navigator's work. Highly specialized computational aids were also developed to assist military aviators in performing aerial gunnery and bombardment. The following article describes a few of these devices, with special attention given to the mechanical analog computers used in military aircraft during World War II.