General Information

Serial #

Prototype 2

Part Number

1

Total Parts

9

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

MAINLY ALUMINUM & BRASS CONSTRUCTION/ GLASS MIRRORS & LENSES/ MAHOGANY HANDLES/ PHENOLIC KNOBS/ UBBLE FLUID IS HEXANE/ WOODEN CASE/ SOME FELT PADS/ LEATHER STRAP

Dimensions

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

Length

28.0 cm

Width

23.4 cm

Height

26.5 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

Longworth

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

City

Toronto

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

Period

1940

Canada

DESIGNED BY DR. FRANK S. HOGG, AN ASTRONOMER AND LATER DIRECTOR AT THE DAVID DUNLOP OBSERVATORY, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO. DESIGNED FOR CANADIAN AIR FORCE IN ORDER TO OVERCOME DEFICIENCIES OF STANDARD BUBBLE SEXTANTS USED FOR AIRCRAFT NAVIGATION- SPECIFICALLY THAT THEY ONLY MEASURED LATITUDE.

Function

TO MEASURE LATITUDE & LONGITUDE, AND TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF STAR SIGHTINGS REQUIRED TO DETERMINE THE POSITION OF AN AIRCRAFT.

Technical

ONE OF 3 EXISTING PROTOTYPES DESIGNED TO SIMULTANEOUSLY OBSERVE THE NORTH STAR (POLARIS) AND KOCHAB (B UM:) TO DETERMINE LATITUDE & LONGITUDE. FIELD TESTS CONDUCTED BY DND EXPOSED A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS, AND THE DESIGN WAS NOT ADOPTED. EXTENSIVE DOCUMENTATION RE: DESIGN & OPERATION PRESERVED IN U OF T ARCHIVES, & IN SUPP.INF

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

'2' STAMPED IN MIRROR HOUSING, CIRCLE HOUSING, EYEPIECE, HANDLE SUPPORTS, ETC/ FINE ADJUSTMENT SCALE NEAR SIDEREAL TIME PLATE FITTING GRADUATED 0-40 BY INCREMENTS OF 5; FINE ADJUSTMENT SCALE GRADUATED 0-3+ BYINCREMENTS OF 5/ SCALE TO MEASURE ANGLE OF TELESCOPE (?) GRADUATED 0-80 BY SINGLE DEGREES (?)/ SEXTANT CASE BEARS LABEL ON LID FRONT: '559-0005/ Sextant marine/ Qty.1'/ LABEL INSIDE CASE LID: 'University of Toronto/ David Dunlop Observatory/ Richmond Hill, Observatory'

Missing

GRADUATED CIRCLE (SIDEREAL TIME PLATE) MISSING. SOME MINOR PARTS MAY ALSO BE MISSING.

Finish

MOST SURFACES ARE FLAT OR BRUSHED ALUMINUM. MAHOGANY HANDLES ARE STAINED & VARNISHED. BRASS TELESCOPE & FITTINGS ARE UNFINISHED. EYEPIECE HAS GREEN GLASS LENSES. WOODEN BOX EXTERIOR PAINTED RED-BROWN; BROWN LEATHER STRAP

Decoration

N/A