In combat and elsewhere Falcon looks the same-good shooting at long range

Lt. Col. John J. Mullen: "Any pilot with a minimum of training can be expected to fire an almost perfect score. The operation of the radar is quite simple and should require little training. The test results were amazing. Each time the cannon was fired while the target was in the sights a direct hit was registered."
Capt. R. S. Bowditch: "After firing 46 rounds, my first aerial gunnery, I consider my score remarkable. Use of the sight involved no skill or experience, and after firing a few rounds even the most inexperienced pilot should have no difficulty getting a high percentage."
5TH AF PROJECT. Sixteen B-25Hs, commanded by Lt. Col. Neil A. Newman, tested Falcon in June 1944 for its tactical value in the 5th AF Theater. Most missions, due to the scarcity of enemy shipping, developed into training and practice flights. Good scores were counted against small rocks and islands in most of the 19 such operations. Three missions failed because of radar electrical and mechanical failures, two because of radar operator inexperience. Two additional missions that started as anti-shipping developed into land-strafing which found Falcon useless. In the lone operation that found an enemy transport, the pilot failed to fly at the airspeed required for the gunsight computation and all shots fell short. As a result of this error, the production Falcon now allows the pilot to set his own speed so long as he maintains it throughout the firing run.

(Continued)

Without Falcon the fixed 75mm cannon in the nose of the B-25H is airborne artillery useful at pointblank range. With Falcon it can knock out a Jap supply ship at 3 miles. In operation, the procedures unfold as follows:
WITHOUT FALCON: The pilot presets the gunsight for a certain range by rotating the adjusting knob. As he flies, his line of sight is on the target as seen through the gunsight. When he estimates his range to the target to be equal to the prescribed distance he pushes the firing button. He then quickly resets the sight to a shorter range and repeats.
With this technique, about 3 shells can be fired per run. The big trouble is that estimating ranges is tricky practice, so the pilot flies in close where his judgment is better but the flak thicker.
WITH FALCON: The radar operator and the pilot, sitting side by side, work as a team. The pilot homes on a target. He motions the operator. When the target becomes visible the operator is ready. Watching it on his 6000 yard range sweep he begins tracking, keeping the range step lined up with the left hand side of the target echo by turning a crank on the side of the indicator unit. This automatically turns a cam that varies the elevation an angle of the optical reflector sight to provide the required superelevation.

Coincidentally, the data is fed into the range dial mounted near the sight, enabling the pilot to open and break off fire on the basis of his range readings.
The pilot, for his part, keeps the target positioned in the reflector sight, computes windage as usual, and fires as often as the loader can ram the projectiles (20 in the rack and maybe more on the floor) into the breach. With Falcon constantly providing range data for the gunsight, 10 or more rounds can be fired during a single run.
In its young lifetime Falcon has undergone a number of tests at home and abroad, all of which add up to pretty much the same thing. The picture is one of accurate 75mm firing as far as 3 miles from the target and the fuller realization of B-25H as an offensive weapon. It's also a picture of increased understanding of Falcon's applications and limitations, particularly based on its tests.
AAF BOARD TESTS.Official trials at ranges from 5,000 down to 2,000 yards resulted in 56% hits on a destroyer silhouette. Between 5,000 and 4,000 yards the average was 35%.
BOCA RATON (FLA.) TESTS. Three pilots handling the 75mm for the first time fired 117 times, making 4 to 5 shots on each pass on ranges between 4800 and 2000 yards. They made 1.04 hits, 13 misses (see chart,). Here is what they reported:

Light House Range Receiver (LTH) Lightweight LHTR weights 28 lbs., is coming into operational use after long development. It makes airborne fire control possible.

5th Air Force Bench Setup. 5th Air Force Bench set emphasizes Falcon's compactness, simplicity, ease of installation and maintenance, all of which are big Falcon advantages.

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In combat and elsewhere Falcon looks the same-good shooting at long range		Lt. Col. John J. Mullen: "Any pilot with a minimum of training can be expected to fire an almost perfect score. The operation of the radar is quite simple and should require little training. The test results were amazing. Each time the cannon was fired while the target was in the sights a direct hit was registered." Capt. R. S. Bowditch: "After firing 46 rounds, my first aerial gunnery, I consider my score remarkable. Use of the sight involved no skill or experience, and after firing a few rounds even the most inexperienced pilot should have no difficulty getting a high percentage." 5TH AF PROJECT. Sixteen B-25Hs, commanded by Lt. Col. Neil A. Newman, tested Falcon in June 1944 for its tactical value in the 5th AF Theater. Most missions, due to the scarcity of enemy shipping, developed into training and practice flights. Good scores were counted against small rocks and islands in most of the 19 such operations. Three missions failed because of radar electrical and mechanical failures, two because of radar operator inexperience. Two additional missions that started as anti-shipping developed into land-strafing which found Falcon useless. In the lone operation that found an enemy transport, the pilot failed to fly at the airspeed required for the gunsight computation and all shots fell short. As a result of this error, the production Falcon now allows the pilot to set his own speed so long as he maintains it throughout the firing run. (Continued)
Without Falcon the fixed 75mm cannon in the nose of the B-25H is airborne artillery useful at pointblank range. With Falcon it can knock out a Jap supply ship at 3 miles. In operation, the procedures unfold as follows: WITHOUT FALCON: The pilot presets the gunsight for a certain range by rotating the adjusting knob. As he flies, his line of sight is on the target as seen through the gunsight. When he estimates his range to the target to be equal to the prescribed distance he pushes the firing button. He then quickly resets the sight to a shorter range and repeats. With this technique, about 3 shells can be fired per run. The big trouble is that estimating ranges is tricky practice, so the pilot flies in close where his judgment is better but the flak thicker. WITH FALCON: The radar operator and the pilot, sitting side by side, work as a team. The pilot homes on a target. He motions the operator. When the target becomes visible the operator is ready. Watching it on his 6000 yard range sweep he begins tracking, keeping the range step lined up with the left hand side of the target echo by turning a crank on the side of the indicator unit. This automatically turns a cam that varies the elevation an angle of the optical reflector sight to provide the required superelevation.	Coincidentally, the data is fed into the range dial mounted near the sight, enabling the pilot to open and break off fire on the basis of his range readings. The pilot, for his part, keeps the target positioned in the reflector sight, computes windage as usual, and fires as often as the loader can ram the projectiles (20 in the rack and maybe more on the floor) into the breach. With Falcon constantly providing range data for the gunsight, 10 or more rounds can be fired during a single run. In its young lifetime Falcon has undergone a number of tests at home and abroad, all of which add up to pretty much the same thing. The picture is one of accurate 75mm firing as far as 3 miles from the target and the fuller realization of B-25H as an offensive weapon. It's also a picture of increased understanding of Falcon's applications and limitations, particularly based on its tests. AAF BOARD TESTS.Official trials at ranges from 5,000 down to 2,000 yards resulted in 56% hits on a destroyer silhouette. Between 5,000 and 4,000 yards the average was 35%. BOCA RATON (FLA.) TESTS. Three pilots handling the 75mm for the first time fired 117 times, making 4 to 5 shots on each pass on ranges between 4800 and 2000 yards. They made 1.04 hits, 13 misses (see chart,). Here is what they reported:
Lightweight LHTR weights 28 lbs., is coming into operational use after long development. It makes airborne fire control possible.
5th Air Force Bench set emphasizes Falcon's compactness, simplicity, ease of installation and maintenance, all of which are big Falcon advantages.