For the length of the bomb run, the bombardier flew the plane. Through the Norden bombsight — linked to the autopilot — he took control from the pilot in the final minutes over the target, holding the aircraft steady while the sight computed the drop and released the bombs at the calculated instant. The Norden was among America's most closely guarded secrets; bombardiers swore an oath to protect it, and the device carried a charge to destroy itself if a plane went down. Its promise was pinpoint accuracy — a bomb "in a pickle barrel from 20,000 feet" — but the reality was humbler: at that altitude, through wind, cloud, and flak, precision was far harder to achieve than the slogans claimed.

The figure walks out in a shearling-collared flight jacket, leather helmet and goggles, Mae West and parachute harness, kit bag in hand. He rounds out the "front office" of a bomber crew diorama with the Navigator who shared the nose compartment and the Bomber Captain, backed by the Ball Turret Gunner.

W. Britain model 10076. 1/30 scale (approximately 60mm), matte-painted metal. Single foot figure on a sculpted base. Boxed.