Thanks for the responses. I am sure that simpler calculations and “rules of thumb” are appropriate in many/most situations, however I require the exact formulae “imbedded” in the navigator’s Mark III D Navigation Computer, in use at that time, in order for me to reproduce the navigator’s calculations with accuracy. Second, after 4 hours of flying time navigators were expected to have that aircraft over the Target +/- 2 minutes of their allotted time: navigators were reprimanded for greater deviations. On the trip to Bochum 9-October-1944, dad was 6.5 minutes early and dad’s navigator was reprimanded in that case. In a telephone conversation I had with him some 4 years ago, prior to their next trip Seale said the Navigation Leader took him aside and told him “Anymore screw-ups like that Seale and you will be in serious trouble.” These times were critical in keeping the Bomber Stream concentrated along the route and over the target area, to keep the defences overwhelmed and the bombing matched up with the pathfinder’s target marking. But I digress…
I have attached two key pages from DCT Bennett’s book “The Complete Air Navigator.” I think these provide the info I need to get to Seale’s result. Bennett provides the detail on adjustments for Temperature: “…if temperature differs from the standard for the height, (see appendix IV 4), then the “pressure height” (corrected altitude with index reading from 1013.2 mbs) must be converted to “density height” by subtracting about 118.8’ for each degree above standard temperature, and vice versa.” This is key as all corrections are in height in feet and can be converted into a robust formula. Of course AVM DCT Bennett was the AOC of 8-Group Pathfinders.
Let’s see if I am allowed to attach some images…nope! I’m not.
Jim