C. Plath Bubble Octant.

 

A typical example of the Luftwaffe issue bubble octant. Most seem to have been in heavy wooden boxes.

This is the first one I have seen in a steel case.

Because of increasingly heavy bombing by the Allies the authorities in Germany moved a lot of their "shadow" factories making important equipment to the East, into Poland and other areas more remote from the British aircraft carrier and the bombers stationed there. This had the consequence that when the Russians advanced from the East they captured many of these factories, often complete with staff. This explains why post the Second World War the Russians were producing identical equipment on wartime German machinery. Initially with German nationals doing the work.

 

Here are some photos of a Russian Bubble Octant I purchased from the Ukraine some time ago. These were used up till the '70s by most of the long range bombers and Spy planes that were often the cause of British and other NATO airforces "scrambling" to chase them away from NATO airspace.

The heavy wooden box is typical of most of the Russian instruments The original German units had a more elaborate box.

The contents photo mounted in the case lid.

 

 

Apart from the Cyrilic script the instrument is identical as far as I can see with a late model Plath. The bubble chamber even looks similar to the wartime version.

 

 

 

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