Photo of the week
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This midweeks photo.
Ans a detailed close up of a Frazer-Nash FN121.
The Automatic Gun-Laying Turret (AGLT), also known as the Frazer-Nash FN121, was a radar-directed, rear gun turret fitted to some British bombers from 1944. AGLT incorporated both a low-power tail warning radar and fire-control system, which could detect approaching enemy fighters, aim and automatically trigger machine guns – in total darkness or cloud cover if necessary. The radar warning and fire-control system itself was commonly known by the code names Village Inn and "Z Equipment", as well as the serial number TR3548.
It was intended that all Royal Air Force bombers, and other Allied aircraft attached to Bomber Command would have an IFF infra-red nose lamp, which would allow rear gunners to avoid friendly fire. In practice, however, Allied aircraft without lamps often crossed paths with AGLT aircraft and, even when they were fitted and operational, the lamps were not always visible to gunners, for various reasons. As a result, Village Inn was generally used purely as an early warning system. According to the official history of the RCAF during World War II, fully automated "blind-firing" was used by gunners in only four out of every 1,000 sorties.
