Big Bertha Lense or what is this?

[Nina C]

My Dad was given a lense in the 1980s by a friend who said it was perhaps used in Vietnam by the US Coast Guard or Navy. The engraving on the lense rim is Bell and Howell Type I 36 inch (916 mm) f/8 Telephoto Serial Number 1929. The lense is almost 11 inches long, weighs about 18 lbs and has two lense caps. I've read on other APUG posts that this might be a Big Bertha or something used by the US Air Force. I've posted two photo. Can anyone tell me what this is? Dad (90 years old) and I want to know what we should do with it? Is this the correct APUG forum? This is my first time on APUG website. It is amazing. Thanks for any advice you might have.
Nina C.

 

[MDR]

This lens is an Aerial reconnaisance lens for the Fairchild K38 Aerial camera (9x18in film). The most famous plane this camera was used in was the Lockheed U2 spy plane.

 

[Dr Croubie]

Yeah, it's an absolutely useless paperweight.
Better send it to me. For free.
I've got, uh, papers that need weighing down...

 

[EdSawyer]

Very nice lens! I Have a much smaller version of the Bell and Howell 6" f/2.5 aerial lens. They made some great stuff, and this is a nice large-format lens with huge coverage. However as you noted it is heavy and unwieldy and likely does not have an aperture or shutter so using it is a little challenging. These are definitely somewhat rare.

 

[Dan Fromm]

As was mentioned in post #2, the lens was made for an aerial camera. I'm not sure any of them flew on the U-2. My USAF documentation says that they were fitted to KA-1 and K-38 (intended for RB-36, RB-47, RB-52, RB-57, RF-84F, RF-101, RF-104 and RF-105 aircraft) and KA-27 (intended for the RB-57) cameras.

Its hard to be sure but the pictures posted seem to show a fixed aperture lens. If so, useless for a Big Bertha. The name Big Bertha has been applied to many objects, including a golf club. In photography it usually means a large format (4x5, 5x7) SLR used primarily by sports photographers. For a fuller account of Big Berthas, see http://www.galerie-photo.com/baby-bertha-6x9-en.html

Some years ago a friend gave me one of those monstrosities in relatively poor condition. I couldn't find a use for it, eventually gave it to someone on the LFPF who wanted to use it wide open (that's all that was possible) to shoot wet plate. Offer it here for the cost of shipping and I'm sure someone will be happy to take it off your hands.