Pigeon guided missiles?!

[Jim Doyle]

I found this earlier today, it may not be new to yourselves - but the
thought of some pigeon tapping away frantically inside a speeding missile
had me in stiches!

http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m3161/24_47/57843983/p1/article.jhtml

Hope it tickles something,

Jim Doyle

Here it is in full:
A study of missile guidance by pigeon pecking has been taken out from under
wraps by the Navy. At the same time, perhaps to calm fears of guidance
designers, the Navy made clear that the project has been discontinued.

Started during World War II, Project Orcon (for organic control) was a
try-anything approach to solving some then-current problems. Guidance
systems for homing missiles were being easily countermeasured and the Navy
thought animals might have potential as a jam-proof control element. Pigeons
were selected for trial because they were light, easily obtainable and
adaptable. Their job was to ride inside a missile and peck at an image of a
target picked up by a lens in the missile's nose. The pigeon's pecking of
the target image was translated into an error signal that corrected the
simulated missile's simulated flight.

The project was revived in 1948 and carried further. In simulated rocket
tests, the pigeons produced "surprisingly good results." The researchers
were convinced that a pigeon could successfully guide a speeding missile
under optimum conditions, compensating for his own and the missile's errors.

But after three years of equipment development and testing, the project was
abandoned because the range of the Orcon system could be no greater than the
range of any optical system and the system could be used only in the
daytime. The trainer used target images photographed in color by a jet
plane, which made picture-taking dives at a destroyer and a freighter in
open sea.

Trainee pigeons were started out in the primary trainer pecking at slowly
moving targets. They were rewarded with corn for each hit and quickly
learned that good pecking meant more food. Eventually pigeons were able to
track a target jumping back and forth at five inches per second for 80
seconds, without a break. Peck frequency turned out to be four per second,
and more than 80 percent of the pecks were within a quarter inch of the
target. The training conditions simulated missile-flight speeds of about 400
miles per hour.

The image was shown under a glass screen coated with stannic oxide to make
it electrically conducting. Through circuitry based on the Wheatstone Bridge
principle, pecks on the glass were translated into distance right and left
and up and down from the center lines.

The target was moved by a small mirror controlled by a servo. The control
circuits were such that if the pigeon stopped tracking, the target image
would drift rapidly away from the center of the screen. This forced the
pigeon to correct not only his own pecking errors, but those introduced by
the yawing of the missile. It turned out that 55.3 per cent of the runs made
were successful--that is, the pigeons were able to keep the target image on
their screens for the duration of more than half their flights.

If pigeon guidance did not get very far in the Navy, it did have one
valuable offshoot. The electrically conducting glass was later used in many
radar displays. (ELECTRONIC DESIGN, November 25, 1959, p. 16)

[Ian]

"Jim Doyle" > wrote in message
...
> I found this earlier today, it may not be new to yourselves - but the
> thought of some pigeon tapping away frantically inside a speeding missile
> had me in stiches!
>
> http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m3161/24_47/57843983/p1/article.jhtml
>
> Hope it tickles something,
>
> Jim Doyle
>
> Here it is in full:
> A study of missile guidance by pigeon pecking has been taken out from
under
> wraps by the Navy. At the same time, perhaps to calm fears of guidance
> designers, the Navy made clear that the project has been discontinued.
>
> Started during World War II, Project Orcon (for organic control) was a
> try-anything approach to solving some then-current problems. Guidance
> systems for homing missiles were being easily countermeasured and the Navy
> thought animals might have potential as a jam-proof control element.
Pigeons
> were selected for trial because they were light, easily obtainable and
> adaptable. Their job was to ride inside a missile and peck at an image of
a
> target picked up by a lens in the missile's nose. The pigeon's pecking of
> the target image was translated into an error signal that corrected the
> simulated missile's simulated flight.
>
> The project was revived in 1948 and carried further. In simulated rocket
> tests, the pigeons produced "surprisingly good results." The researchers
> were convinced that a pigeon could successfully guide a speeding missile
> under optimum conditions, compensating for his own and the missile's
errors.
>
> But after three years of equipment development and testing, the project
was
> abandoned because the range of the Orcon system could be no greater than
the
> range of any optical system and the system could be used only in the
> daytime. The trainer used target images photographed in color by a jet
> plane, which made picture-taking dives at a destroyer and a freighter in
> open sea.
>
> Trainee pigeons were started out in the primary trainer pecking at slowly
> moving targets. They were rewarded with corn for each hit and quickly
> learned that good pecking meant more food. Eventually pigeons were able to
> track a target jumping back and forth at five inches per second for 80
> seconds, without a break. Peck frequency turned out to be four per second,
> and more than 80 percent of the pecks were within a quarter inch of the
> target. The training conditions simulated missile-flight speeds of about
400
> miles per hour.
>
> The image was shown under a glass screen coated with stannic oxide to make
> it electrically conducting. Through circuitry based on the Wheatstone
Bridge
> principle, pecks on the glass were translated into distance right and left
> and up and down from the center lines.
>
> The target was moved by a small mirror controlled by a servo. The control
> circuits were such that if the pigeon stopped tracking, the target image
> would drift rapidly away from the center of the screen. This forced the
> pigeon to correct not only his own pecking errors, but those introduced by
> the yawing of the missile. It turned out that 55.3 per cent of the runs
made
> were successful--that is, the pigeons were able to keep the target image
on
> their screens for the duration of more than half their flights.
>
> If pigeon guidance did not get very far in the Navy, it did have one
> valuable offshoot. The electrically conducting glass was later used in
many
> radar displays. (ELECTRONIC DESIGN, November 25, 1959, p. 16)

The recent BBC2 programme Crafty Tricks of War showed this a few weeks ago.
Got to be one of the funniest things I've ever seen!!

They made a mock up (adult sized) to prove the concept and it all worked.
Just needed some conditioned (and dedicated) pigeons and of you go.

Makes me wonder of the MoD (and DoD) aren't telling us something about
todays PGBs???
>

[robert arndt]

"Ian" > wrote in message >...
> "Jim Doyle" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I found this earlier today, it may not be new to yourselves - but the
> > thought of some pigeon tapping away frantically inside a speeding missile
> > had me in stiches!
> >
> > http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m3161/24_47/57843983/p1/article.jhtml
> >
> > Hope it tickles something,
> >
> > Jim Doyle

Thanks for the story. Here's another one concerning Britain's use of
Falcons to combat the Nazi Pigeon menace during the pre-invasion plans
for Operation Sea Lion.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/01/99/wartime_spies/263333.stm

The article does not, however, tell of the continued development of
the Nazi pigeon. The German Army and SS used specially trained pigeons
to target troops
and perform recon with special cameras developed by Zeiss.
I'll try to find that info as well somewhere in an "animals at war"
site.

Rob

p.s. You are aware of the CIA exploding pigeons, right? Supposedly
they and the exploding dogs were successfully used against terrorists
in the '80s. The exploding pigeon was used with a pinpoint laser
designator while the dog was just introduced into the area and
detonated when convenient.

[James Hart]

robert arndt wrote:
> "Ian" > wrote in message
> >...
>> "Jim Doyle" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> I found this earlier today, it may not be new to yourselves - but
>>> the thought of some pigeon tapping away frantically inside a
>>> speeding missile had me in stiches!
>>>
>>> http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m3161/24_47/57843983/p1/article.jhtml
>>>
>>> Hope it tickles something,
>>>
>>> Jim Doyle
>
> Thanks for the story. Here's another one concerning Britain's use of
> Falcons to combat the Nazi Pigeon menace during the pre-invasion plans
> for Operation Sea Lion.
>
>
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/01/99/wartime_spies/263333.stm
>
> The article does not, however, tell of the continued development of
> the Nazi pigeon. The German Army and SS used specially trained pigeons
> to target troops
> and perform recon with special cameras developed by Zeiss.
> I'll try to find that info as well somewhere in an "animals at war"
> site.
>
> Rob
>
> p.s. You are aware of the CIA exploding pigeons, right? Supposedly
> they and the exploding dogs were successfully used against terrorists
> in the '80s. The exploding pigeon was used with a pinpoint laser
> designator while the dog was just introduced into the area and
> detonated when convenient.

As opposed to the exploding cat of course, it would explode when
inconvenient.
No doubt someone will be along shortly with tales of the not particularly
succesful anti tank dogs and the anti shipping torpedo dolphins.

--
James...
www.jameshart.co.uk

[robert arndt]

"James Hart" > wrote in message >...
> robert arndt wrote:
> > "Ian" > wrote in message
> > >...
> >> "Jim Doyle" > wrote in message
> >> ...
> >>> I found this earlier today, it may not be new to yourselves - but
> >>> the thought of some pigeon tapping away frantically inside a
> >>> speeding missile had me in stiches!
> >>>
> >>> http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m3161/24_47/57843983/p1/article.jhtml
> >>>
> >>> Hope it tickles something,
> >>>
> >>> Jim Doyle
> >
> > Thanks for the story. Here's another one concerning Britain's use of
> > Falcons to combat the Nazi Pigeon menace during the pre-invasion plans
> > for Operation Sea Lion.
> >
> >
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/01/99/wartime_spies/263333.stm
> >
> > The article does not, however, tell of the continued development of
> > the Nazi pigeon. The German Army and SS used specially trained pigeons
> > to target troops
> > and perform recon with special cameras developed by Zeiss.
> > I'll try to find that info as well somewhere in an "animals at war"
> > site.
> >
> > Rob
> >
> > p.s. You are aware of the CIA exploding pigeons, right? Supposedly
> > they and the exploding dogs were successfully used against terrorists
> > in the '80s. The exploding pigeon was used with a pinpoint laser
> > designator while the dog was just introduced into the area and
> > detonated when convenient.
>
> As opposed to the exploding cat of course, it would explode when
> inconvenient.
> No doubt someone will be along shortly with tales of the not particularly
> succesful anti tank dogs and the anti shipping torpedo dolphins.

Uh, the Russian AT dogs were a failure because they usually went for
Russian tanks which used gasoline. Since the dogs were taught to crawl
under Russian tanks in training they smelled the gasoline from the
engines. German tanks used diesel so the Pavlov training the Russians
used turned against them. Only a few German tanks were ever destroyed
this way but 22 Russian tanks were lost to their own dogs!'
The Germans used AT dogs as well, but with a special harness that
released the dog once under or on top of the enemy tank. The Germans
loved their animals and none were starved to perform nor blown apart-
the charges being timed. A few German dogs even recieved the Iron
Cross! No lie. You will see particularly many photos during the war
with the SS and their dogs riding with them in the Sdkfz 251s,
Kubelwagens, or in Zundapp/BMW motorcycle sidecars!
Besides pigeons and dogs, the Germans also used Elephants in Hamburg
to plow and move machinery. They used horses and mules to carry
panzerfaust and panzerschrek AT weapons in wooden carts at wars end,
sometimes in a quad arrangement.
BTW, the dolphin stories are true. They were used to protect Trident
boomers as well as recently used in Iraq to locate mines and possible
enemy divers.

Rob

[Peter Stickney]

In article >,
(robert arndt) writes:
> "James Hart" > wrote in message >...
>> robert arndt wrote:
>> > "Ian" > wrote in message
>> > >...
>> >> "Jim Doyle" > wrote in message
>> >> ...
>> >>> I found this earlier today, it may not be new to yourselves - but
>> >>> the thought of some pigeon tapping away frantically inside a
>> >>> speeding missile had me in stiches!
>> >>>
>> >>> http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m3161/24_47/57843983/p1/article.jhtml
>> >>>
>> >>> Hope it tickles something,
>> >>>
>> >>> Jim Doyle
>> >
>> > Thanks for the story. Here's another one concerning Britain's use of
>> > Falcons to combat the Nazi Pigeon menace during the pre-invasion plans
>> > for Operation Sea Lion.
>> >
>> >
>> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/01/99/wartime_spies/263333.stm
>> >
>> > The article does not, however, tell of the continued development of
>> > the Nazi pigeon. The German Army and SS used specially trained pigeons
>> > to target troops
>> > and perform recon with special cameras developed by Zeiss.
>> > I'll try to find that info as well somewhere in an "animals at war"
>> > site.
>> >
>> > Rob
>> >
>> > p.s. You are aware of the CIA exploding pigeons, right? Supposedly
>> > they and the exploding dogs were successfully used against terrorists
>> > in the '80s. The exploding pigeon was used with a pinpoint laser
>> > designator while the dog was just introduced into the area and
>> > detonated when convenient.
>>
>> As opposed to the exploding cat of course, it would explode when
>> inconvenient.
>> No doubt someone will be along shortly with tales of the not particularly
>> succesful anti tank dogs and the anti shipping torpedo dolphins.
>
> Uh, the Russian AT dogs were a failure because they usually went for
> Russian tanks which used gasoline. Since the dogs were taught to crawl
> under Russian tanks in training they smelled the gasoline from the
> engines. German tanks used diesel so the Pavlov training the Russians
> used turned against them. Only a few German tanks were ever destroyed
> this way but 22 Russian tanks were lost to their own dogs!'

The only problem with that is that the vast majority of Soviet tanks,
especially after about August, 1941, were (Wait for it!) Diesel
powered. (BT-8, T-34 & derivatives, T-60 & derivatives, KV-whatever -
they also got the Lion's Share of Diesel Shermans).

The German tanks didn't use Diesels. They use Heavy Oil spark
ignition (Otto Cycle) engines. In many ways, the worst of both
worlds. The only Diesels thay used in Armored Vehicles, other than
some prototypes, such as teh E100 hull, were the Tatra engines used in
some Armored Cars and the vehicles derived from the Czech Pz 38(t).

--
Pete Stickney
A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many
bad measures. -- Daniel Webster

[robert arndt]

> > Uh, the Russian AT dogs were a failure because they usually went for
> > Russian tanks which used gasoline. Since the dogs were taught to crawl
> > under Russian tanks in training they smelled the gasoline from the
> > engines. German tanks used diesel so the Pavlov training the Russians
> > used turned against them. Only a few German tanks were ever destroyed
> > this way but 22 Russian tanks were lost to their own dogs!'
>
> The only problem with that is that the vast majority of Soviet tanks,
> especially after about August, 1941, were (Wait for it!) Diesel
> powered. (BT-8, T-34 & derivatives, T-60 & derivatives, KV-whatever -
> they also got the Lion's Share of Diesel Shermans).

No Lend-Lease Shermans nor T-34 tanks are recorded as lost to dog
mines. The earlier petrol powered Russian light tanks and BT-series
(1-5)were the casualties IIRC.
>
> The German tanks didn't use Diesels. They use Heavy Oil spark
> ignition (Otto Cycle) engines. In many ways, the worst of both
> worlds. The only Diesels thay used in Armored Vehicles, other than
> some prototypes, such as teh E100 hull, were the Tatra engines used in
> some Armored Cars and the vehicles derived from the Czech Pz 38(t).

My bad, I was trying to remember the history from memory. Anyway, the
Russian dog mines didn't respond to the unfamiliar German AFVs but the
Germans did find out about them. So they ordered their troops to shoot
on sight any dogs found on the battlefield (the claim was rabies to
keep the mine danger suppressed).
Here's a photo of a Russian dog mine:
http://www.ostfront.com/images_german/dogmine1.jpg

Rob

p.s. I'll try to find the German minehunden, especially the Iron Cross
winners!

[George R. Gonzalez]

it's curious that this is being presented as something just uncovered.

I recall reading in several journals about this way back in the 1970's.
I think BF skinner was involved in this.

They also had pigeons working as pill-sorters, but somebody at the pill
company decided that customers would not like the idea of pigeons pecking at
their pills.

[Jim Doyle]

"George R. Gonzalez" > wrote in message
...
> it's curious that this is being presented as something just uncovered.
>

Only just found out about it!

Jim

[Ian]

> Uh, the Russian AT dogs were a failure because they usually went for
> Russian tanks which used gasoline. Since the dogs were taught to crawl
> under Russian tanks in training they smelled the gasoline from the
> engines. German tanks used diesel so the Pavlov training the Russians
> used turned against them. Only a few German tanks were ever destroyed
> this way but 22 Russian tanks were lost to their own dogs!'
> The Germans used AT dogs as well, but with a special harness that
> released the dog once under or on top of the enemy tank. The Germans
> loved their animals and none were starved to perform nor blown apart-
> the charges being timed. A few German dogs even recieved the Iron
> Cross! No lie. You will see particularly many photos during the war
> with the SS and their dogs riding with them in the Sdkfz 251s,
> Kubelwagens, or in Zundapp/BMW motorcycle sidecars!
> Besides pigeons and dogs, the Germans also used Elephants in Hamburg
> to plow and move machinery. They used horses and mules to carry
> panzerfaust and panzerschrek AT weapons in wooden carts at wars end,
> sometimes in a quad arrangement.
> BTW, the dolphin stories are true. They were used to protect Trident
> boomers as well as recently used in Iraq to locate mines and possible
> enemy divers.
>
> Rob

I thought the Russian dogs were a failure as they'd been trained on mainly
russian tanks (the theory being that they'd associate lying under tha tanks
with the reward). Unfortunately for the trainers, they usually ra\n under
their own tanks? Either way, they weren't very successful

[Eunometic]

(Peter Stickney) wrote in message >...
> In article >,
> (robert arndt) writes:
> > "James Hart" > wrote in message >...
> >> robert arndt wrote:
> >> > "Ian" > wrote in message
> >> > >...
> >> >> "Jim Doyle" > wrote in message
> >> >> ...
> >> >>> I found this earlier today, it may not be new to yourselves - but
> >> >>> the thought of some pigeon tapping away frantically inside a
> >> >>> speeding missile had me in stiches!
> >> >>>
> >> >>> http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m3161/24_47/57843983/p1/article.jhtml
> >> >>>
> >> >>> Hope it tickles something,
> >> >>>
> >> >>> Jim Doyle
> >> >
> >> > Thanks for the story. Here's another one concerning Britain's use of
> >> > Falcons to combat the Nazi Pigeon menace during the pre-invasion plans
> >> > for Operation Sea Lion.
> >> >
> >> >
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/01/99/wartime_spies/263333.stm
> >> >
> >> > The article does not, however, tell of the continued development of
> >> > the Nazi pigeon. The German Army and SS used specially trained pigeons
> >> > to target troops
> >> > and perform recon with special cameras developed by Zeiss.
> >> > I'll try to find that info as well somewhere in an "animals at war"
> >> > site.
> >> >
> >> > Rob
> >> >
> >> > p.s. You are aware of the CIA exploding pigeons, right? Supposedly
> >> > they and the exploding dogs were successfully used against terrorists
> >> > in the '80s. The exploding pigeon was used with a pinpoint laser
> >> > designator while the dog was just introduced into the area and
> >> > detonated when convenient.
> >>
> >> As opposed to the exploding cat of course, it would explode when
> >> inconvenient.
> >> No doubt someone will be along shortly with tales of the not particularly
> >> succesful anti tank dogs and the anti shipping torpedo dolphins.
> >
> > Uh, the Russian AT dogs were a failure because they usually went for
> > Russian tanks which used gasoline. Since the dogs were taught to crawl
> > under Russian tanks in training they smelled the gasoline from the
> > engines. German tanks used diesel so the Pavlov training the Russians
> > used turned against them. Only a few German tanks were ever destroyed
> > this way but 22 Russian tanks were lost to their own dogs!'
>
> The only problem with that is that the vast majority of Soviet tanks,
> especially after about August, 1941, were (Wait for it!) Diesel
> powered. (BT-8, T-34 & derivatives, T-60 & derivatives, KV-whatever -
> they also got the Lion's Share of Diesel Shermans).
>
> The German tanks didn't use Diesels. They use Heavy Oil spark
> ignition (Otto Cycle) engines. In many ways, the worst of both
> worlds. The only Diesels thay used in Armored Vehicles, other than
> some prototypes, such as teh E100 hull, were the Tatra engines used in
> some Armored Cars and the vehicles derived from the Czech Pz 38(t).

Quite right. Why this was I don't know because on a tank it's quite a
safety issue to have gasoline intstead of diesel/kerosene.

However I do believe the Russian suicide dog experiment was a
practicable as well as propaganda debacle.

German gasoline use in tanks may again relate to the Germans adjusting
their engine types to suit their syn fuel supplies, perhaps to make
use of byproduct low grade gasoline not suitable for aviation use but
even that is a little odd since FT synthesis actualy produces quite
good diesel.

The cetane rating are actualy insanely high, around 85 which meant
that the mixture ignited easily but burned slowly. Normaly high
cetane rating is desirable but the rating were so high that in this
case the burn was too slowly and efficieny suffered so they had to
blend the fischer trospch diesel with diesel from their coal
hydrogenation plants to get a perfect mixture.

The Germans have generally been leaders in development and employment
of diesel engines and the precision injections systems and their Jumo
series aircraft engines were highly regarded as were their u-boat and
marine diesels.

The power to weight ratio of the Maybach tank engine (700hp but 620hp
after fans etc subtracted) of the Tiger and Panther, despite its mass,
was quite good but the power to weight ratio of the T34 was superb,
20hp/ton as opposed to 13.5 hp/ton for the Panther and the Germans had
trouble matching its acceleration. There was hope of getting 800hp
out of the Maybach by employement of fuel injection and a series of
gas trubines the GT101( direct drive), GT102(Indirect drive), GT103 (
GT102 with heat recovery) based on a downscaled BMW003 combustion
chamber was in developemnt to overcome Germanies fuel quality issues
and improve power to weight ratios.

The germans often ran out of diesel becuase gasoline had emphasis. A
diesel substite was often made with 95% gasoline and 5% lubricating
oil.

In many cases note that German synthesis technology improved markedly
as the war progressed and decisions they made early on often lost
validity as the tech progressed.

[John Keeney]

"George R. Gonzalez" > wrote in message
...
> it's curious that this is being presented as something just uncovered.
>
> I recall reading in several journals about this way back in the 1970's.
> I think BF skinner was involved in this.
>
> They also had pigeons working as pill-sorters, but somebody at the pill
> company decided that customers would not like the idea of pigeons pecking
at
> their pills.

I've let the original post get away but in there some where was a date (from
the 1950's I think it was) and a magazine name the article came from.