"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...

It might be possible but I doubt it. There used to be a sextant
designed for aircraft navigation in WW II that used an artificial
horizon of sorts but those guys were happy to know where they were
within 20 miles or so.

That was not a sextant. It was called an octant.

Here's one:

http://www.icarusbooks.com/images/1458.jpg

On Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:25:09 -0600, "Roger Helio"
wrote:


"Wayne.B" wrote in message
.. .

It might be possible but I doubt it. There used to be a sextant
designed for aircraft navigation in WW II that used an artificial
horizon of sorts but those guys were happy to know where they were
within 20 miles or so.

That was not a sextant. It was called an octant.

Here's one:

http://www.icarusbooks.com/images/1458.jpg

I've got no idea what that thing you referenced is but I can assure
you that the devices carried aboard aircraft, at least until the
1970's was called a "Bubble Sextant" and didn't look a thing like your
picture.


Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct email address for reply)

On Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:55:22 +0700, Bruce in Bangkok
wrote:

That was not a sextant. It was called an octant.

Here's one:

http://www.icarusbooks.com/images/1458.jpg

I've got no idea what that thing you referenced is but I can assure
you that the devices carried aboard aircraft, at least until the
1970's was called a "Bubble Sextant" and didn't look a thing like your
picture.

Yes.

http://www.warbirdsite.com/museumnavigation.html

http://www.nautical-products.com/bubble-sextants.html

http://www.physics.uq.edu.au/physics...ant_manual.pdf

http://www.qmss.com/seastories/seastory05.html

On Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:10:13 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:55:22 +0700, Bruce in Bangkok
wrote:

That was not a sextant. It was called an octant.

Here's one:

http://www.icarusbooks.com/images/1458.jpg

I've got no idea what that thing you referenced is but I can assure
you that the devices carried aboard aircraft, at least until the
1970's was called a "Bubble Sextant" and didn't look a thing like your
picture.

Yes.

http://www.warbirdsite.com/museumnavigation.html

http://www.nautical-products.com/bubble-sextants.html

http://www.physics.uq.edu.au/physics...ant_manual.pdf

http://www.qmss.com/seastories/seastory05.html


The device carried aboard USAF aircraft until the 1970's looked most
like the bubble sextant shown as a US Navy bubble sextant Type A-12 at
the top of the page in your reference
http://www.warbirdsite.com/museumnavigation.html

Note that it was a sextant, not an octant.


Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct email address for reply)

Really?

http://americanhistory.si.edu/collec...dnumber=451517

Catalogue number:
AF*59057-N
Inscriptions:
"U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS / AIRCRAFT OCTANT / TYPE NO. A-7 SERIAL NO. A0-42-132 /
SPECIFICATION NO. 94-27747A / ORDER NO. AC-17520 / MFR'S ASSY. DWG. NO.
3003-B / BENDIX AVIATION CORPORATION / PIONEER INSTRUMENT DIVISION / BENDIX,
NEW JERSEY, U.S.A." and "MFR'D UNDER ONE OR MORE OF THE /FOLLOWING PATENT
NOS. / 1556994 1674550 1970543 / 2221152 DES. 85912 / BENDIX AVIATION
CORPORATION / PIONEER INSTRUMENT DIVISION / BENDIX, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A."



Another aircraft octant:

http://americanhistory.si.edu/collec...dnumber=123408

There are a number of aircraft octants for sale he

http://www.paxp.com/mac/navtrak/sextants.html#used_m

And another octant:

http://americanhistory.si.edu/collec...dnumber=451519



Are you certain they were really sextants on those naval aircraft? We used
an octant aboard a P-2.

In maritime history octants were the predecessor of sextants. Octants have
several distinct advantages over the sextant for use in aircraft. If you are
experienced in the use of both you can really understand why.

Perhaps your memory is not reliable.

"Roger Helio" wrote in message
...

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...

It might be possible but I doubt it. There used to be a sextant
designed for aircraft navigation in WW II that used an artificial
horizon of sorts but those guys were happy to know where they were
within 20 miles or so.

That was not a sextant. It was called an octant.

Here's one:

http://www.icarusbooks.com/images/1458.jpg
That is not an octant. It looks like a bubble sextant as used on aircraft..
An octant is exactly the same as a sextant except that is is constructed to
read to 45 degrees against a sextant's 60.
A sextant can therefore measure a wider angle than an octant.
.. I have an octant that my grandfather used. It is made of
ebony and has ivory engraved scale read with a vernier, but in all essential
respects is identical to a sextant.

"Edgar" wrote in message
...

"Roger Helio" wrote in message
...

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...

It might be possible but I doubt it. There used to be a sextant
designed for aircraft navigation in WW II that used an artificial
horizon of sorts but those guys were happy to know where they were
within 20 miles or so.

That was not a sextant. It was called an octant.

Here's one:

http://www.icarusbooks.com/images/1458.jpg
That is not an octant. It looks like a bubble sextant as used on
aircraft..
An octant is exactly the same as a sextant except that is is constructed
to
read to 45 degrees against a sextant's 60.
A sextant can therefore measure a wider angle than an octant.
. I have an octant that my grandfather used. It is made of
ebony and has ivory engraved scale read with a vernier, but in all
essential
respects is identical to a sextant.



It came from this page:

http://www.icarusbooks.com/nonpaper.htm

Click on the link CS1458 "Aircraft octant".

Here's one on sale at eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/WWII-NAVY-OCTANT...QQcmdZViewItem

Here's a US Navy manual on them:

http://cgi.ebay.com/SEXTANT-OCTANT-M...2em118Q2el1247

Here's another manual:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Link-Bubble-Sext...2em118Q2el1247

Amelia Earhardt used an octant.

Eddie Rickenbacker used one on his B-17. Octants were standard issue on
B-17s.

All US military aviation navigators used octants.


What type of navigation uses a radiant? A radiant is an "octant" that covers
360 degrees. That will certainly stump all of you since no one even knew of
the existence of an octant. (Hint: octants are top secret, only I know about
them!). The term "sextant" was used for these devices so as not to confuse
those of minimal mental capacity, apparently for good reason.