In article ,
Charles Gray writes:
Numerous bombers and heavy fighters, especially thowse that entered
service post 1943 have reference to remote controlled weapons.

Now, the remote control part should be fairly easy, but how were
they aimed? I'm assuming that you linked the gunners controls in such
a way thatthe gun always fired at the point where he was aiming,
making allowences for the location of the gun-- but how effective were
they? How hard was it to keep them in repair, as that sounds like a
fairly complex and advanced system for the 1940's.

There were quite a few implementation of remote-controlled weapons
during WW 2. The level of sophistication varied greatly - from fixed
light machine guns pointing directly behind some bombers that couldn't
cover that area with aimed gune - (HE 111, and, IIRC, the Martin
Maryland - it worked about as well as could be expected, which is to
say, not very well at all) - to the U.S. A-26 and B-29's computer
controlled systems that automatically computed lead, jump, drop, and
the effects of altitude and temperature on the gun's trajectory, and
could aim several gun turrets from a single sighting station. (Oh,
yeah, it corrected for parallax errors for having the turrets adn the
sights in different locations. A B-29 gunner only had to place the
pipper of his sight on the target, and adjust the stadiametric range
circle as he tracked. The Fire COntrol System did the rest.

Remote control was also a feature of AAA (Anti-Aircraft Artillery).
All combatants used this to some degree, eslecially for Medium &
Heavy (40mm & up) guns. Targets were tracked by radar or optical
systems, which fed the target's motion and position data to a
Mechanical or Electromechanical Analog Computer, which resolved the
pointing solution and time of flight (Fuze setting) solution for the
guns. Less sophisticated systems, such as those used by the Germans,
used the computer to move a set of pointers on the gun mounts, and the
Pointer and Trainer operators turned handwheels to move the gun's
position to match the computer's commands. The U.S., and later the
Brits, with better technology (Feedback control systems, Variacs adn
Amplidynes) were able to control the pointing of the guns, and the
setting of the fuzes directly. With the introduction of the SCR-584
autotracking (You lock it on to a target, and it tracks it
automatically) radar, which fed the Ballistic Computer directly,
Remote Power Control to the guns, and Proximity Fuzes, Anti-aircraft
engagements were completely automated - The Gun Crew's job was to feed
shells into the breech as fast as they could, and act as a backup to
the remote systems.

The U.S. Navy had a similar level of sophistication. All guns on a
large ship were remotely controlled in train & elevation by the Fire
Control Systems, and the firing of the guns was controlled by the
computer. These computers automatically tracked the designated
targets, and controlled rangefinders and pointing systems, as well as
the guns. (The Spotting and Rangefinding crews, once the system was
tracking, input corrections, rather than raw position inputs)
With the introduction of microwave radars, which could spot
shell splashes as well as track targets, and allow gunfire corrections
to be made, they were capable of completely blind fire. THis was a
significant advantage that no other combatant had. (The Brits came
close, but the Germans and the Japanese were never able to build
systems that could accurately position something as large as a 90mm
gun, let alone a Battleship Turret).

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