Show New St n Compass Adds Safety S F Factor actor to Proposed Polar Flight S t L S r Af- Af p 1 1 S 5 S. S S S 5 S. S S SS r S SS S S 5 S t S S j 54 S S k A. A I II II I I I b y HAAKON H. H HAMMER Captain Roald Amundsen's Associate Asso Asso Asso- S elate An artificial sun has been created created cre cre- to overcome the greatest dif di- di in a transpolar flight that flight that of n navigation in the Arctic regions Whether the flight is made mado in dirigible or 01 airplane the same obstacle obstacle obstacle ob ob- ob- ob stacle is encountered that encountered that of keepIng keep keep- ing lag ones one's direction For it is by the compass that the navigator sets his course and holds his direction But In n the high latitudes the earths earth's forces which act on the compass In a I directive manner become less and less The ordinary compass be beI becomes becomes be- be comes more and more unreliable I Through the motion of ot the plane I the needle commences to sam spin around and the compass becomes utterly useless The Tho proximity of the magnetic Pole furthermore effects the magnetic magnetic magnetic mag mag- magI I compass A gyro compass suggested Itself I But this had to be bo eliminated be because because because be- be cause its directive force becomes zero at 90 degrees north TAKES TIP FROM SUN Appreciating these difficulties and realizing that his navigation plan would only be feasible if he were furnished with a reliable dIrection di direction direction dI- dI finder in high latitudes Captain Amundsen set out to devise devise devise de de- de- de vise a new type of ot compass compas The sun itself is a perfect substitute substitute substitute sub sub- for the ordinary means of ot direction finding in the Arctic but the rotation of ot the earth is an in inconvenience in- in convenience the convenience the sun does not maintain a constant azimuth but moves around the horizon once every twenty-four twenty hours The thought of ot a sun dial COnnected connected connected con COn- with a clockwork presented itself as a solution So on a visit to Berlin in January Captain Amundsen and I l i placed the problem before Captain Boykow a VII 1 5 VI I S. S r S r f S r COMPASS 2 24 HOu plAt CLOCK J I M or S THE SU I. I I S 'S i Li- Li I Boykow Boykow n showing Hammer Hammerand and Amundsen right how ITOW row to work the new sun compass diagramed diagramed dia- dia below ment n-ent m member of ot the scientific staff of the C C. P P. Goerz optical works With Amundsen's suggestion asa as asa asa a basis he constructed a working model of a sun compass which Is astounding in its simplicity and which permanently eliminates any difficulty in direction finding in the Arctic during the summer months In high latitudes the sun is continually continually continually con con- on the horizon from the middle of Mo May until late August and clouds and fog are no obstacles as the airplane can always ascend above them PILOT FOLLOWS IMAGE After having adjusted the new sun compass to the desired direction tion tron the pilot steers according to the Image of ot the sun produced by optical means on a dial before his eyes ejes without regard to the real po poI position position po- po I of ot the sun or differently exPressed expressed expressed ex ex- ex- ex pressed this sun will keep S.- S. the pilot in the desired direction so that he may steer as on a distant landmark S SIn In the annexed plan the optical course of the light rays through this instrument Is reproduced schematically The instrument consists mainly of the we well known panoramic gun sight which possesses possesses possesses pos pos- the quality of maintaining an erect eyepiece image even though the objective prism is ro rotated ro- ro This is effected by the simultaneous simultaneous sim aim rotation of ot a so called Doves Dove's prism through half halt the ob objectives objective's objectives objective's ob- ob angle of ot revolution The of ot the panoramic gun gunsIght gunsight sIght Ight is removed and in its Us place Is mounted a tube and screen upon which Is engraved a lubbers lubber's line The clockwork making one revolution revolution revolution revo revo- lution In twenty four hours turns I the objective prism at the same rate as the suns sun's motion In azimuth so that the Image of ot the sun always indicates the desired direction The pilot therefore sees in front of him on the screen a small email clear picture at nt the sun and once the Instrument is adjusted steers as to maintain the suns sun's Image Image image Im im- Im- Im age on the central engraved line MAY REVOLUTIONIZE NAV NAVIGATION I GAT I 0 N. N Full particulars of or this sun compass compass com coin pass has been given to the United States army anny and navy and will probably be used on the round the world army planes The bureau of ot aeronautics had been working towards the same idea in connection connection connection tion with the Shenandoah flight but had not as as yet got so far tar as to de design design design de- de sign an Instrument The above In Instrument instrument instrument in- in strument will be carefully studied by the aeronautical advisory board and may be developed to become I an important factor in aeronautical navigation In all alI latitudes Copyright 1924 by NEA Service |