Librascope Explained

Librascope was a Glendale, California, division of General Precision, Inc. (GPI). It was founded in 1937 by Lewis W. Imm to build and operate theater equipment, and acquired by General Precision in 1941. During World War II it worked on improving aircraft load balancing.

Later, Librascope became a manufacturer of early digital computers sold in both the business and defense markets. It hired Stan Frankel, a Manhattan Project veteran and early ENIAC programmer, to design the LGP-30 desk computer in 1956.

In 1964 Librascope's Avionic Equipment Division at San Marcos has been shifted to the Aerospace Group, GPI as the West Coast facility of the Kearfott Division.^[1]

Librascope was eventually purchased by Singer Corporation and moved into the manufacture of marine systems and land-based C3 (Command, Control, Communication) systems for the international defense industry. The company specialized in fire control systems for torpedoes, though they continued to work on a variety of other smaller military contracts through the 1970s.

After Singer was taken over by corporate raider Paul Bilzerian, the company was sold to Loral Space & Communications in 1992. The division was eventually sold to Lockheed Martin and was eventually absorbed into the Lockheed Martin Federal Systems, but is now called Lockheed Martin NE&SS—Undersea Systems.

Computers

• LGP-30
• LGP-21
• Librascope AN/ASN-24 general purpose Airborne/Aerospace Computer Set (1958),^{[2] [3] [4] [5]} after modification used in:
  • Centaur guidance computer (Librascope-3)^{[6] [7]}
  • Lockheed C-141A Starlifter and C-130E Hercules - Digital Navigation Computer (System 605A),^[8] AN/ASN-24(V)^{[9] [10]}
  • Atlas-Centaur Navigation Computer (GPK-33)^[11]
  • Digital Camera-Control System - aerial-reconnaissance camera system, AN/ASN-24(XY-1)^[12]
• Librascope C141 airborne navigation computer
• Librascope L90-I general purpose aerospace computer (1962)^[13]
• Librascope L600 aircraft and missile guidance computer
• Librascope L-2010^{[14] [15] [16]} general purpose rugged computer (1962),^[17] portable^[18]
• Librascope L3055 data processor for 473L system

References

1. Web site: 1960-1969 Librazettes. www.librascopememories.com. 1–2. en. Librazette April, 1964: AED Shifts to Aerospace Group; Now Part of Kearfott Division. 2018-09-05.
2. Web site: 1950-1959 Librazettes. www.librascopememories.com. 1, 4. en. December, 1958 Librazette: Company Develops Revolutionary Midget Airborne Digital Computer. 2018-09-05.
3. Web site: 1960-1969 Librazettes. www.librascopememories.com. 1, 4. en. June, 1962 Librazette: NEW BUSINESS - C-141 Contract; ASN-24: Good Things Come in Small Packages. 2018-09-05.
4. Web site: Librascope Product Literature. 20 December 1963. www.librascopememories.com. en. ASN-24 LICOS Report - 1963. 2018-09-05.
5. Book: KEARFOTT AN ASN-24 Computer SetsTechnical Summary. Jul 1967. GPK-33: p. 5.
6. Book: Spaceborne digital computer systems - Space vehicle design criteria. Mar 1971. 2-6 (2-12). 2. STATE OF THE ART.
7. Web site: 1950-1959 Librazettes. www.librascopememories.com. 1. en. Librazette September, 1959: Librascope Computer Is Centaur "Brain". 2018-09-05.
8. Web site: AN/ASN - Equipment Listing. www.designation-systems.net. AN/ASN-24. 2018-09-05.
9. Web site: Kearfott Aerospace Digital Computers 102646245 Computer History Museum. May 1967. www.computerhistory.org. GPK-33 Atlas-Centaur Navigation Computer: pp. 12-13, AN/ASN-24(V) Airborne/Aerospace Computer Set: pp. 14-17, AN/ASN-24(G) Airborne/Aerospace Computer Set: pp. 18-19, L-90 Series General-Purpose Digital Computers (L90-1, L90-3): pp. 20-21. en. 2018-09-05.
10. Book: The C-141A StarLifter / Navigation System for the C-141A. 1959. The Navigator. Department of the Air Force, Air Training Command. XI. 2-11 (602-611). en. 4.
11. Mark DiVecchio."Univac Athena Missile Guidance Computer".2011.
12. across the editor's desk: COMPUTING AND DATA PROCESSING NEWSLETTER: NEW PRODUCTS - AERIAL-RECONNAISSANCE CAMERA SYSTEM IS COMPUTER-CONTROLLED. Computers and Automation. Apr 1963. XII. 4. 34–35.
13. Book: Datamation. 1962. F.D. Thompson Publications. 25. en.
    • 1962 PICTORIAL REPORT ON THE COMPUTER FIELD: COMPUTER COMPONENTS - L-90 HIGH-SPEED MICROCIRCUIT. Computers and Automation. Dec 1962. XI. 12. 75.
    • Web site: 1960-1969 Librazettes. www.librascopememories.com. en. Librazette December, 1962 - NEW PRODUCTS - Introducing the L-90. 3. 2018-03-25.
14. Dec 1962. 1962 PICTORIAL REPORT ON THE COMPUTER FIELD: DIGITAL COMPUTERS - L-2010 GENERAL PURPOSE COMPUTER. Computers and Automation. XI. 12. 26. Alt URL
15. Nov 1962. ACROSS THE EDITOR'S DESK: New Products - LIBRASCOPE INTRODUCES L-2010 COMPUTER. Computers and Automation. XI. 11. 26, 31. Alt URL
16. Circuitry with micromodular construction
    • News: A Short History of Hybrid & Module Technology. 2018-02-02. eeNews Europe. 2018-04-24. en.
      • Book: Magazines, Hearst. Popular Mechanics. Oct 1959. Hearst Magazines. en. 244.
      • Book: Rosine, Lawrence L.. Advances in Electronic Circuit Packaging: Volume 5 Proceedings of the Fifth International Electronic Circuit Packaging Symposium sponsored by the University of Colorado, EDN (Electrical Design News), and Design News, held at Boulder, Colorado, August 19–21, 1964. 2013-12-01. Springer. 9781489973078. en. 107–108.
17. Web site: 1960-1969 Librazettes. www.librascopememories.com. en. Librazette November, 1962 - ENGINEERING - Compact and Rugged. 2018-03-25.
18. Web site: Librascope Product Literature. www.librascopememories.com. 3,5. en. L-2010 Portable General Purpose Digital Computer - 1962. 2018-03-25.

External links

• Librascope Memories, over 60 years of history, including 293 Librazette newsletters, photos, product literature, and company videos.
• Air Force 473L global communications system