Sometime during WW II, the first accurate true airspeed indicators were fielded. A lengthy web search has failed to find a definitive date, inventor, model, or manufacturer. The rich text file attachment provides a roughly chronological outline, with links to sources.
The intent of the thread is to try to fill in gaps in that chronology. Another goal is to fill in examples of use in military aircraft in WW II. Flight manuals found on-line for the
B-17 and
B-29 do not mention a TAS indicator.
The attached Kollsman ad appeared in the October 1944 issues of Flying and Aviation magazines.
The other attached figure is a two page article in the September 1944 issue of Aviation on a mach meter. The Kollsman name appears on the instrument dial at the lower left, but is not mentioned in the text, nor is an author listed.