Liquid compass - aircraft

Liquid compass.

Bowl: Black painted metal, filler plug at side, expansion chamber at base. Fitted with a verge ring, graduated to 360 degrees anti-clockwise, which has an outer rotatable ring which carries a course indicating pointer. The lubber line is engraved in red on the verge glass. Inside of bowl painted black. Mounted in a black painted gimbal ring which is attached to a special mounting carrying a spindle with two racks for correcting magnets with a circular cover. The mounting is carried in a ring which permits the whole unit to be moved in azimuth and two 20 degree scales and provided. Attached to a wood bracket which is secured to a portion of the aircraft and has the remains of a deviation table.

Card: Enamelled rim, white with black markings, graduated to 360 degrees, attached to an unpainted aluminium float at centre.

Needle: Unsighted.

Pivot: Unsighted.

The bowl of this compass was filled with paraffin, now empty.

O. A. Height 8.0" (20.3 cm)

Object Details

ID: ACO0555
Type: Liquid compass - aircraft
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Nautical Instrument Manufactory
Date made: 1914-18; 1914-1918
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Admiralty Compass Observatory
Measurements: Overall: 205 mm x 230 mm x 185 mm x 1.6 mm