Sextant

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Ingenium, 1994.0606.001
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OBJECT TYPE: BUBBLE
DATE: 1939–1945
ARTIFACT NUMBER: 1994.0606.001

MANUFACTURER: Unknown
MODEL: Mk.IXA
LOCATION: England

More Information

General Information

Serial #: 3612/43
Part Number: 1
Total Parts: 5
AKA: N/A
Patents: N/A
General Description: predom. non-ferrous metal (possibly aluminum); steel; plastic; glass lens & mirror; rubber cushion around eyepiece

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length: 23.0 cm
Width: 16.0 cm
Height: 20.0 cm
Thickness: N/A
Weight: N/A
Diameter: N/A
Volume: N/A

Lexicon

Group: Aviation
Category: Aircraft instruments
Sub-Category: N/A

Manufacturer

AKA: Unknown
Country: England
State/Province: Unknown
City: Unknown

Context

Country: Worldwide
State/Province: Unknown
Period: WWII (1939-1945)/ model IXA introduced in 1938/ this one appears to have been used in Canada until late 1950's (see overhaul sticker on .2 (Montreal 1956)
Canada: Unknown
Function: Sextants are optical navigational instruments for measuring angular distances and determining latitude. A bubble sextant contains a bubble-level in a dome-topped liquid-filled chamber. When held vertically, the bubble floats to the dome's centre, providing a horizontal base line, or artificial horizon,. from which the altitude of the sun or other chosen celestial body may be measured.
Technical: Reading taken in an aircraft in flight can contain errors because the bubble is not steady. The Mk IXA bubble sextant has a built in automatic wind-up averaging device that takes a series of readings every few seconds over 1 or 2 minutes and works out the average.
Area Notes: Unknown

Details

Markings: lettering painted on housing reads: "A.M./BUBBLE SEXTANT/MARK IXA/68/218/No 3612/43/BRIT. PATS./480112 490621/AND PENDING"; "No 3612/43"; lettering on back of averaging mechanism reads: "[crown]/A.M./SERIAL No 5322/43"
Missing: N/A
Finish: predom. black; white lettering & indicators; silver clip fastener
Decoration: Tudor crown on averaging mechanism

CITE THIS OBJECT

If you choose to share our information about this collection object, please cite:

Unknown Manufacturer, Sextant, between 1939–1945, Artifact no. 1994.0606, Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation, http://collection.ingenium.ca/en/id/1994.0606.001/

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