NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Bubble levels and sextant periscope
From: David Pike
Date: 2015 Jan 8, 17:13 -0800
The first one is a Kelvin Hughes MK1 or 1A periscopic sextant. If it was ever used in V Bombers, it must have been in very early ones. I was flying in Vulcans from 1969, and they'd had Smiths Mk2s A,B, & C for some time. The Mk1A was used on some transport aircraft. Certainly the Civil Argossy and possibly the RAF Argossy. You'll note the Mk1 has an electric averager. The lighting is 3V (witness the red spot on the screw bulb) I don't know about the averager. The red rubber eye protector isn't original. It's probably pinched from a Mk2 A or B. The Mk2 went back to clockwork averaging. Attached is a photo of a Victor Navigator using a Mk2C sextant annoted 1959 in which case it's a Victor B1 or 1a. Note the different azimuth ring and the swivel eyepiece. You can see my Mk1 or 1A at https://NavList.net/m2.aspx/Substitute-lighting-for-aircraft-sextants-DavidPike-jan-2015-g29919 . It's nicer but jammed up nevertheless. Dave
From: David Pike
Date: 2015 Jan 8, 17:13 -0800
Bubble levels and sextant periscope
From: Jackson McDonald
Date: 2015 Jan 8, 20:49 +0000
Even though they are not my particular areas of interest, I've been following the recent conversations about aircraft sextant periscopes and bubble levels.
Then, today, I stumbled on these two items on eBay.
Perhaps there are NavList members who might be interested.
RAF Vulcan periscope sextant:
The first one is a Kelvin Hughes MK1 or 1A periscopic sextant. If it was ever used in V Bombers, it must have been in very early ones. I was flying in Vulcans from 1969, and they'd had Smiths Mk2s A,B, & C for some time. The Mk1A was used on some transport aircraft. Certainly the Civil Argossy and possibly the RAF Argossy. You'll note the Mk1 has an electric averager. The lighting is 3V (witness the red spot on the screw bulb) I don't know about the averager. The red rubber eye protector isn't original. It's probably pinched from a Mk2 A or B. The Mk2 went back to clockwork averaging. Attached is a photo of a Victor Navigator using a Mk2C sextant annoted 1959 in which case it's a Victor B1 or 1a. Note the different azimuth ring and the swivel eyepiece. You can see my Mk1 or 1A at https://NavList.net/m2.aspx/Substitute-lighting-for-aircraft-sextants-DavidPike-jan-2015-g29919 . It's nicer but jammed up nevertheless. Dave