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Brass and aluminum aviation compass complete with azimuth circle 1940 U.S.A

About the Item

Brass and aluminum aeronautical compass complete with azimuth circle, supplied to U.s: Army Air Force aircraft during the world War II. Good condition and functioning. Compass diameter cm 16.5 - inches 6.5, height 11 cm - inches 4.3. The compass is consisting of a cylindrical-shaped brass vessel called a mortar on which fund is fixed a hard metal stem, on which the suitably constrained compass rose is placed, so that zero coincides with the magnetic polarity. To minimize friction, the mortar is filled with low-freezing point liquid, also having the purpose of quickly dampening any fluctuations in the complex and closed at the top by a strong protective glass. The first airplane proper saw the light of day in 1903, when the Wright brothers succeeded in flying-and keeping in the air for 12 seconds-a kind of glider equipped with a 16-horsepower engine at Kill Devil Hill in North Carolina, USA. But the father of aviation is considered by one part of the scientific and aeronautical community to be Alberto Santos-Dumont, who, during a flight held on November 12, 1906, managed to get a heavier-than-air aircraft to take off independently (the Wright brothers had instead used a kind of catapult to take off). The first Italian plane was built by Aristide Faccioli in 1908. The invention of the compass is surrounded by a legendary aura. It is known, however, that the discovery of magnetite, a material capable of attracting iron, occurred in Magnesia, a city in Asia Minor from which this stone takes its name. The first hints of the use in Europe of scientific instruments that harnessed magnetic force for navigational orientation date back to the late 12th century, mainly due to knowledge brought by Arab merchants and navigators.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 4.3 in (10.93 cm)Diameter: 6.5 in (16.51 cm)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1940
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Milan, IT
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1020237137982

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