Working Reflector Gun Sight for FPV Dogfight

[Turbinefancy]

Sorry! Double post.

[Turbinefancy]

QB,
Please do share inflight footage of your sight in the Cub with the Sonic modules. I am very interested to see what that looks like. And maybe try to get two units from your hands....;)

Here's the full length gunnery training flight - including iffy takeoff and bouncy landings. Wreaking havoc pretty much aligns with this video :)

[quitcherbitchen]

If I broke this is that a problem? I broke it shoving it thru the foam canopy. There are what looks like exposed wire inside. I haven't powered it up yet. Maybe I should write Tim?

[Turbinefancy]

Did you not pre-drill a hole then pass the wire thru first? I can’t see what’s wrong in the picture. If you break the wire, just solder back and heatshrink or tape over exposed area. Also, it’s a good idea to test the sight before installing on the plane. I tested mine using 3 aaa in a series. Make sure brightness is turned to minimum (counter-clockwise) as you power it up. Mine seemed way too bright indoors. Works well outside with the sun out.

The Reflector Sight is a delicate optical instrument, please handle it with care. I treat mine like jewelry almost.

Please contact Tim directly if you still have issues. As I do not rep for the product or Tim formally. I am just a fellow enthusiast at this point.;)

[quitcherbitchen]

I did predrill the hole. The problem was that little tube is in the way. He should make it without the tube or face it down. Foam planes are usually thick in the cockpit area near the instrument panel. I will contact tim.

[Turbinefancy]

That’s a good recommendation to ease installation by sliding the vertical tube into a predrilled vertical hole on the instrument panel.:Cool:

Tim made the small bent tube in keeping with the original sight’s form. He is a real stickler for scale detail. He originally was going to keep the vertical tube short to be exactly like the original, sacrificing infinity focus. I debated him to put function over form valuing FPV use over static display purpose - otherwise people could just get an IFlyTailies Sight. Anyways, I agree for ease of installation, the small bent tube should not be there.

I mounted my sight in front of the instrument panel by securing the vertical tube with Velcro (hook & loop) and pre-drilled a hole horizontally to route the wires through the instrument panel. But that pretty much ruined the scale look of my instrument panel:Confused:. I need to figure out a different way to mount it to restore scale looking instrument panel....

[quitcherbitchen]

Tim mentioned that I should carefully cut the tube down the middle with a razor saw to extract the wires. I will possibly attempt this or just try and make it work for now. The tube is a hassle for installation and frankly, the wire quality is kind of sub par. The covers crack just looking at them. If I cut off the tube I will rewire using servo wire which has better covering. I also intend to cut off the wire that would have held the sun shield. It hits the wind screen in my plane. These are again all personal preferences, but the little tube should be left off for anyone who wants to mount it by just drilling a whole and shoving it in.

[Turbinefancy]

I also leave the sun shield off. It’s another scale feature that Tim is excited to include but I find obstructing my view at the windshield. The dimmer can already adjust for brightness to make the retical appear clearly even for mid-day sun. I advocate function over form and hope Tim would heed the suggestions.

[Turbinefancy]

On a separate note, I found a very interesting visual target acquisition and damage scoring system for dogfight competition designed by Scott Chin, whose also a designer for Delta 5 Race Timer, a popular vtx based lap timing system for drone racing.

Notice the damage score (upper left corner) racking up whenever the reticle overlays the moving target box. Though it’s a system better suited for fixed camera FPV dogfight. I still find it very interesting.

[quitcherbitchen]

Here is mine all fixed. My canopy has a piece of glass in the front. Just need to get the camera distance sorted.

[Turbinefancy]

Looking good QB. Happy Hunting!:Cool:

[Turbinefancy]

Latest use on the gunsight, in a Spitfire vs F-14 Tomcat dogfight.

[Turbinefancy]

Putting the reflector sight to good use in a Spitfire chasing a buddy’s Avanti. Coupled with head-tracking FPV is where the parallax free feature really shines, Head/camera does not have to be at the exact center spot for the sight to aim true!

[Turbinefancy]

Here’s a German Ravi sight fitted in a Zero (as the Japanese did use German sights in WW II) doing a mock strafing run on bridge traffic. It’s amazing how small real trucks appear in the sight. RC trucks would be almost invisible. The sight on a real Zero and BF-109 are mounted slightly off to the right of center for pilots to aim with their right eye - I suppose. But since there’s only one FPV camera in the center, the reticle is invisible almost the entire flight. Only when I turn my head slightly down and right does the reticle appear for aiming, even though it’s there the whole time.

[Turbinefancy]

Updating reflector sights to use green reticles provide much better contrast against targets. I guess the military guys have done their homework with all the HUDs being green.

Finally putting mine to good use doing no holds barred dogfight. We are having a blast!

[DR1-Pilot]

Hello Jim,

sorry, I don't produce the small sights anymore, only larger ones (50 % or more) for real aircraft.

Sincerely, Tim Noack

[Turbinefancy]

Hello Jim,

sorry, I don't produce the small sights anymore, only larger ones (50 % or more) for real aircraft.

Sincerely, Tim Noack

Glad to have the Master himself show up at last to discuss about the reflector sights. I just like using it in dogfights: