Unidentified objects

Thanks Philip. Light Fighter Sight makes sense, and this seems very likely. In response to nuuumannn’s request, photos of the interior are given below, along with the 12-pin plug. The clear window looks like it might have had a light fitted below it, but although screw holes are present there is no light. However, there is nothing directly below it which would have been observed, so I’m pretty sure it had a light.

Is anyone able to confirm if this is indeed a Ferranti Light Fighter Sight Control Unit from a Lightning?

The LFS thing is not something to do with a LORAN system is it?
Just a wild uneducated guess

Is LFS not the Light Fighter Sight?

Ian, take the LFS thing apart and have a look inside, if you can. The clear plastic piece looks like an optic of some sort, or is it a light? Also, what type of connection is at the end of that cable, is it an electrical canon plug or something else? I vaguely remember seeing something like this to do with air sampling.

The LFS thing is not something to do with a LORAN system is it?
Just a wild uneducated guess

Exmpa has very kindly told me that the first item is definitely not from a Nimrod. It doesn’t seem to be from a Shackleton. Is anyone able to identify it (or confirm it is indeed a Doppler nav unit if this is what it is) and say what aircraft type it would have been fitted to?

I’d also be interested in any suggestions as to what the LFS control unit is. What might LFS stand for?

Pagen, thanks for this. I managed to have a look at the Shackelton at the Fenland & West Norfolk Aviation Museum at the weekend, and confirm the TACAN control unit.

Thanks for the suggestion re object 1. It certainly doesn’t seem to be from a Shackleton as I can’t find anything remotely like it in any photos I’ve seen. Similarly, I don’t think it’s from a Nimrod MR.2 as they kit is pretty much all grey in there, particularly at the navigator’s positions. I need to try and find photos or other information about MR.1 positions, which might be a challenge.

The other item is shown from the front. It’s basically just a cylindrical shape, although the top is slightly larger (like a very short and fat nail). The photo shows the top, but the body is just a black metal cylinder with no markings on it. I’m pretty sure it will be identifed by figuring out what an LFS Control Unit is, but that’s the mystery. The only RAF-related LFS reference I can find is the Lancaster Finishing School, so this must mean something else, but I’ve no idea what.

The TACAN controller in pic 2 is definitely the correct type for Shackleton AEW.2.
I must admit that the item in pic 1 I have never seen inside any Shackleton (that’s not to say they weren’t fitted in any), I’m actually wondering if it’s from a Nimrod MR.1 which was a lot more ‘black boxy’ than the 2? If so quite rare I would think.
The other item needs to be viewed from the front for me to guess at!

Might be worth getting the attention of, or PMing Exmpa about the first item.

Thanks for this, baloffski. I’m pretty sure the holder is for a flight computer, but wasn’t sure if this type of holder is generic or if it is from a specific aircraft type. I’m hoping someone might recognise it and be able to identify the aircraft type it comes from.

Thanks also for the suggestion about the possible Doppler Navigation panel. This certainly seems to fit the options, but I can’t find any information or images relating to it. I’d love to be able to pin it down to specific equipment type number and possibly aircraft type as well. There is a mark on the back of it which looks like there might have been a data plate there. Sadly, this is missing, so the only way to identify it is from appearance. If anyone is an expert on Doppler equipment or otherwise can tell me more about this particular piece of kit, I would be very grateful.

First one – Doppler Nav Panel? You can set your destination Lat/Long and it will give you measure distance travelled and thus distance to go and it will also feed drift data into a gauge to allow for drift angle and cross track distance to be factored in. Not very accurate over long distance so you would need to correct it with sextant shots every hour I think

The computer stowage could be for a Dalton Whizz Wheel?

The first unit is clearly some kind of navigational computer, with settings for latitude and longitude as well as “radar wind” (presumably to calculate drift), inputs for destination and a reference to magnetic variation. This all seems to indicate some form of navigational system. It might be from a Shackleton, but I can’t guarantee it and it could well be from some other aircraft type. However, I would hope that someone might recognise it, or at least be able to suggest what it might be. Any information that can help identify this, or the other bits of kit, would be much appreciated.

Thanks very much for that XL189. It’s much appreciated.

Does anyone recognise any of the other equipment?

Top row, second from left is a TACAN control unit.

If my memory serves me correctly, in REC mode, you got bearing to the beacon, in T/R you got range and bearing.