Description
You are bidding on a SUPERB used example of a WW2 US Army Aircraft K-14 Gyroscopic Computing Gunsight Selector-Dimmer! This is the VERY desirable late-production Type C variant fitted to P-51D Mustangs, P-47 Thunderbolts, and early F-86 Sabres!
Based on the British RAF Mk. II Gunsight, the K-14 (USAAF) and Mk18 (Navy) sights were a direct copy. The K-14 included two projector systems for the reflector sight, one with gyro correction for attacking aircraft, and a second for attacking ground targets. It was otherwise similar to the British models, although the dial for adjusting the target size was moved to the left side of the sight instead of the front. The area where the Mark II had the dial was replaced by a moving scale that indicated the current range to the target, along with a large pad that prevented pilot head injuries in the case of rapid deceleration.The Selector-Dimmer controlled both power and reticle brightness for the U.S.A.A.F. computing gunsight system used in late-war P-51 Mustangs, P-47 Thunderbolts, and early jet aircraft such as the F-86 Sabre.
Made of aluminum and steel by the AC Spark Plug Division of General Motors, Flint, Michigan, this is an exceptionally scarce transitional variant of the standard K-14 unit, produced in small numbers when AC Spark Plug updated its designation system during the final wartime contracts. The housing is finished in its original black enamel with a fully legible data plate indicating the rare, “Type K-13C” marking (these usually only indicated, “Type K-13B”). Appears to be new-old-stock, as the factory cloth tape remains in place over the access screws and the unit shows no evidence of wiring installation or service use. Unlike earlier selector-dimmers, this refined configuration was manufactured without the push-to-reset circuit breaker feature, and the casting itself was redesigned with no provision for one, reflecting a deliberate late-war simplification rather than a missing part. All selector functions (Gyro, Fixed, and Off) are clearly marked and function as they should. This particular unit would have interfaced with the K-14C Gyro Gunsight I have listed (please see my other auctions). A PERFECT addition to any serious aviation or military technology collection, restoration, or display!
