But when the lights go out and nothing electrical works, the trusty magnetic compass will still tell you which way you are going. Aromatic X Environment Apple Cinnamon 250ml Scent Home Citrus Tempered Glass Bathroom Shelf with Towel.In this age of the ubiquitous GPS—handheld, panel-mounted, in your phone, even in your watch—the magnetic compass seems like an anachronism, a relic of a bygone era. Leaks are almost always caused by deterioration of the diaphragm or the front face glass gasket.Airpath Compass w/ Windscreen Center Post Mount. Variations in the fluid level due to changes in air temperature and atmospheric pressure are accommodated by a flexible diaphragm. You will need to keep your engine running if it affects your compass readings.Your primary compass is probably an Airpath, which has been the standard in almost all production airplanes for decades.
Please see our other vintage avionic merchandise. Please take a look at photos, if you have any questions please contact me. Compass is in good pre-owned condition. The question is, what do you need to do to make one work correctly in your airplane?Up for sale, Vintage Airpath MS17983-2 Compass Magnetic Pilots Standby Gauge with Sight. A primary flight display connected to a magnetometer can meet the requirement, but for the highest possible level of reliability, nothing beats the old magnetic compass.
That said, there is usually no perfect place to put a compass in an airplane, unless you are flying an all-composite glider with no radios. The compass needs to be visible to the pilot, aligned with the longitudinal axis of the airplane, away from ferrous metals (iron and steel) as much as possible, and away from any potential sources of magnetism such as heavy wires and transformers. Condition: NewBefore we even talk about swinging a compass, we need to think about its installation.
Also be sure that all electrical items are well grounded to avoid magnetizing parts of your airplane such as steel cages and motor mounts.Once we are satisfied with the installation of the compass the question arises, when do I need to swing my compass? In other words, when do I need to adjust it to be sure it is always pointing in the right direction at all headings? Certainly upon initial installation is one, but there are many other times when it is appropriate: after an especially hard landing or a bout with severe turbulence after flying through an electrical storm, or heaven forbid, a lightning strike after any addition or modification to the avionics or electrical system after the plane has been sitting in one place for over one year without moving or if you relocate your home base more than a few miles away. I used a knife to get the remains of the old gasket out from under the glass, and methyl ethyl.Be sure that your tailwheel and your nose are directly over each compass rose line.In general keep magnets out of the cockpit to the extent possible and avoid placing things like headsets on the glareshield near the compass. In any case, be sure to install your compass with brass screws, nuts, and lock washers.Airpath compass repair kits from aircraft spruce europe. Vertical card compasses seem to be especially difficult to sort out, but some people do get them to work. Sometimes, in some planes, mounting the compass in the instrument panel may work, but usually not.
Look up the exact magnetic heading of the runway at your airport. If your airport does not have a compass rose and there isn’t one nearby, you can make your own. Fill in the compass card when you are finished.If you have a good compass rose on your field or nearby, it is fairly easy to do the actual swinging of the compass. Be sure to keep it in a safe place so you can find it later if you need to swing your compass again.
The yellow taxiway line should be at the same heading as the runway or at least close enough. Be sure to consult with the airport manager before you do this. Find a taxiway parallel to the runway somewhere out of the way where you can lay out your rose.
Your trusty Boy Scout compass will also do the job, but again, check it against a known reference.With a compass rose now available, position the plane so it is heading exactly north. However, it is good to verify their accuracy against a known reference line before using them to swing your aircraft compass. Today even many smartphones such as the iPhone have compass apps that you can use. If you are not at an airport where you have an exact magnetic heading reference, you can use any compass with the ability to sight in a line to do your layout. All you will need is a 50-foot tape, a piece of chalk or carpenter’s crayon, and a carpenter’s chalk box.
Start up the engine and the radios and set the compass to read exactly east. Be sure to have plenty of help to lift the tail into position to avoid injury.Next reposition the plane so it is facing exactly east. Leave the radios on, because avionics can easily affect compass readings.This short ladder lifts the tail enough to get the plane fairly close to level.
You are allowed an error of ten degrees, but hopefully you will be much closer. In other words, if the compass reads exactly north when facing north and 176 degrees when facing south you, should adjust the compass until it reads 178 degrees when facing south. The compass will probably not read exactly south, so you will need to note how far off it is and correct for one-half the difference. It is much easier and safer to jockey the plane into position with the engine off, but if it makes a difference you will need to have it running when you make each adjustment.Now position the plane so it is facing due south. If the compass did not move after turning the engine off in both positions, I would feel comfortable doing the rest of the swinging with the engine off.
The corrections you made when facing south and west will have a similar effect on the north and east readings. Obviously, this is not something you will want to try by yourself.When you are finished with your west adjustment recheck north and east to verify the new adjusted headings. You will need to lift the tail to level the airplane each time if you have conventional gear. Again, note the corrected heading for your compass card. If it made a difference to have the engine running before, be sure to start it up again before making your west adjustment. Note the difference between 270 degrees and the heading indicated by the compass and again take out half the difference.
Generally you should not try to correct these intermediate headings because you will just throw off the cardinal heading adjustments. As always, the plane should be level, and the engine should be running if it previously made a difference. Just note these headings on your compass card and remember to steer north you will need to fly at a heading of two degrees on your compass.This iPhone has a compass app that you can use in a pinch, but as you can see from the display, it is a few degrees off.Once your cardinal heading corrections are established, you can go around the compass one more time at 30 degree increments and note the corrected headings. For instance your compass may point to 2, 91, 178, and 272 degrees.
Lace them together so one can hang from the other. A good way to check for magnetized metal is to make a sensor out of two paper clips. When you are all done, fill out your compass card, date it, and place it in view next to the compass.If you just can’t get your compass to come into adjustment, you may have some magnetized steel somewhere in the plane.
If possible try to identify and eliminate the source of magnetizing so it doesn’t recur.Fluid has leaked or evaporated from this compass. Common sources of magnetized airframe parts include poorly grounded starters and alternators, and improper grounding during electric welding. It may take some searching to find someone near you with the proper equipment. If it is a permanent part of the airplane, the engine mount for example, you will need to degauss (demagnetize) it. If you find a magnetic source, see if it can somehow be removed.
Compass repair kits are also available for the more common compasses, in case yours is leaking. It is inexpensive and readily available, so there is no excuse for using non-approved fluid. This should only be done with compass fluid that meets MIL-C-5020A specifications. It may also need to have a leak repaired.If your compass has an air bubble visible inside it, you need to top off the fluid.
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