Sperry 36-inch Navy Searchlight
Pima Air and Space Museum
SPERRY 36-INCH NAVY SEARCHLIGHT SERIAL NUMBER 1529
The largest of three standard searchlight sizes used on U.S. Naval ships during World War II.
Since the late 19th century searchlights have been an important multiuse tool for naval crews. They have been used to detect enemy ships, assist landing parties, aid search and rescue, as signaling devices, and to dazzle, or confuse, attacking enemies. Indeed, one of the earliest naval applications of searchlights occurred in 1882 when the Royal Navy used searchlights to dazzle Egyptian gun crews defending Alexandria.
During the Russo-Japanese War, World War I, and World War II searchlights were used to detect, track, and engage enemy ships during nighttime naval battles. In particular, the Japanese Navy developed tactics and training that proved quite effective during nighttime naval engagements early in World War II.
As the war progressed radar emerged as a far more effective way to locate and track enemy ships with the added benefit of not giving a vessel's location away. However, searchlights still proved highly versatile with novel uses being implemented during the Battles of Midway and the Philippine Sea where searchlights were used as nighttime beacons to guide aircrews back to their aircraft carriers. Due to their varied utility, the Navy still installs searchlights on most modern vessels.
The 36-inch searchlight displayed here is a standard navy type, utilizing a carbon arc lamp and a parabolic mirror. Carbon arc lamps work by creating an electric arc between two carbon rods, or electrodes. This arc creates an intense, steady, and highly luminous light which is focused and projected into a narrow beam by the backing parabolic mirror. The diameter of this beam is controlled by an iris shutter. Large searchlights, such as this 36-inch light, could be controlled manually or remotely, and were predominantly used for nighttime combat. They did not have shutters for signaling. Signaling was conducted by smaller 12- and 24-inch general-purpose searchlights.
Technical Specifications
Light: carbon arc light, 400,000,000 candle power
Traverse: 360 degrees
Elevation: -40 to 120 degrees
Sperry 36-inch Navy Searchlight
Pima Air and Space Museum
SPERRY 36-INCH NAVY SEARCHLIGHT SERIAL NUMBER 1529
The largest of three standard searchlight sizes used on U.S. Naval ships during World War II.
Since the late 19th century searchlights have been an important multiuse tool for naval crews. They have been used to detect enemy ships, assist landing parties, aid search and rescue, as signaling devices, and to dazzle, or confuse, attacking enemies. Indeed, one of the earliest naval applications of searchlights occurred in 1882 when the Royal Navy used searchlights to dazzle Egyptian gun crews defending Alexandria.
During the Russo-Japanese War, World War I, and World War II searchlights were used to detect, track, and engage enemy ships during nighttime naval battles. In particular, the Japanese Navy developed tactics and training that proved quite effective during nighttime naval engagements early in World War II.
As the war progressed radar emerged as a far more effective way to locate and track enemy ships with the added benefit of not giving a vessel's location away. However, searchlights still proved highly versatile with novel uses being implemented during the Battles of Midway and the Philippine Sea where searchlights were used as nighttime beacons to guide aircrews back to their aircraft carriers. Due to their varied utility, the Navy still installs searchlights on most modern vessels.
The 36-inch searchlight displayed here is a standard navy type, utilizing a carbon arc lamp and a parabolic mirror. Carbon arc lamps work by creating an electric arc between two carbon rods, or electrodes. This arc creates an intense, steady, and highly luminous light which is focused and projected into a narrow beam by the backing parabolic mirror. The diameter of this beam is controlled by an iris shutter. Large searchlights, such as this 36-inch light, could be controlled manually or remotely, and were predominantly used for nighttime combat. They did not have shutters for signaling. Signaling was conducted by smaller 12- and 24-inch general-purpose searchlights.
Technical Specifications
Light: carbon arc light, 400,000,000 candle power
Traverse: 360 degrees
Elevation: -40 to 120 degrees