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What is this board given to a pilot in World War II?

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    $\begingroup$ Obviously, it's an old iPhone! $\endgroup$
    – Hot Licks
    Apr 11, 2020 at 19:59

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The photo in the question is a screenshot from the movie "Midway"(2019).

The board is a Mark 3A Plotting Board used for navigation by pilots flying from U.S. Navy aircraft carriers during World War II. It can be seen carried by various SBD Dauntless pilots in this scene from the movie "Midway" (2019) from 0:24 to 1:07.

Photo credit: National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution enter image description here

Plotting Board Instructions

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Photo credit: National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution enter image description here

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enter image description here

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    $\begingroup$ How would you quickly get it out of the way? $\endgroup$
    – BruceWayne
    Apr 11, 2020 at 0:02
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    $\begingroup$ It is mounted on a sliding shelfd and can be slid out of the way. $\endgroup$
    – Mike Sowsun
    Apr 11, 2020 at 3:24
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    $\begingroup$ What's the device mounted to the windshield? $\endgroup$
    – RockPaperLz- Mask it or Casket
    Apr 11, 2020 at 6:12
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    $\begingroup$ Gun sight or bomb sight. $\endgroup$
    – Mike Sowsun
    Apr 11, 2020 at 6:24
  • $\begingroup$ But why did it have to be brought into the cockpit before each take-off rather than just being there? Was it somehow mission-specific? $\endgroup$
    – Jan Hudec
    Sep 27, 2021 at 19:24

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