Original British WWII RAF Bomber Bubble Sextant Mark IX in Bakelite Wall-mounted Case – dated 1940 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice British Air Ministry marked Royal Air Force Bubble Sextant Mark IX, in very good condition. These were used for night time navigation about WWII Aircraft, such as the Avro Lancaster Bomber, and others.

It comes complete with its wall-mounted Bakelite Case/ Transit chest, which would be carried on board the plane, and then mounted to the wall by the Navigator station. The left side of the sextant is marked with the maker and specifications:

(CROWN)
A.M
BUBBLE SEXTANT
MARK IX
H. HUGHES & SON Ltd.
REF No. 6B/151
BRIT.PATS
480112 490621
AND PENDING

The top of the right side is marked with SERIAL No. 3848/40, indicating 1940 manufacture. This is a pre-WWII design, slightly more simple than the later IXA, which has a large timer drum on the front.

The top of the wooden case is also marked, indicating that it is the case for a MkIX bubble sextant, though the serial number is missing, so we can’t tell if this is the original case. This unit is in very good condition, and comes complete with a power adapter for plugging into the bomber’s electrical system. There are two fiber tubes or spacers, and there is a compartment for spare bulbs, with two bulbs packed in padding.

As far as we can tell, the unit is functional, however we have no way to test it. The optics also appear to be somewhat dirty, but could probably be cleaned. The various sun shades still work, with no alignment issues. The light control filters for the bulb still look to function as well. It is marked with various inspection markings, and there is a small white area on the right side for simple calculations with an oil pencil, which would then be wiped off.

Case measures approximately 9 1/2″ x 10″ x 8 “, and has a data tag with information regarding the sextant.

A great chance to own a piece of military history. Ready to display!