NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Amelia Earhart's aerial navigation
From: Gary LaPook
Date: 2009 Nov 16, 00:16 -0800
From: Gary LaPook
Date: 2009 Nov 16, 00:16 -0800
I have attached three photos from Morissey's book showing the MK II drift sight/pelorus in the window of NR16020. I have also attached another picture I found on line showing the same thing. I have included an excerpt from H.O. 216 explaining how the MK II was used for taking drift sights. I have attached four photos of my MK II C which differs from the MK II used by Noonan only in the sighting head, the MK IIC uses an illuminated reflector sight while the earlier model had a plain sighting tube. It consists of a base plate with a rotatable scale (used for taking bearings) that can be locked in place and the sighting head on an extendable shaft with an indicator arm mounted at the bottom. The head is placed into the base and extended to the proper height and locked into place. For taking drift readings the rotatable scale is not used, just the fixed drift scale. I don't know how it would have been used for drift sights mounted in the window since you must look directly behind the aircraft to measure the drift. I had heard (I don't remember where) that a provision was made to prop the door out slightly and to mount the sight in the gap so that an observation towards the tail could be made. gl frankreed@HistoricalAtlas.com wrote: > Jackie, you wrote: > "One of the few things we know for sure is there was a pelorus fitted on a bracket at the starboard window which I understood him to have used to take bearings. This is shown in several photographs." > > Can anyone point me to one of these photos somewhere online? I tried to find one. Based on the text descriptions I've found of the gear in the navigator's station on the Electra, I would now guess that the current film got the details exactly correct visually. > > And you wrote: > "I havent seen the film yet, but I have heard it pays scant attention to Noonan. But at least this time round they get the resemblance right. Apparently he is portayed as unintelligent and boisterous. Quite the opposite. He was highly intelligent and quiet spoken." > > I wouldn't say that he's portrayed as 'unintelligent' --it's just that his character is barely fleshed out --"scant attention" just as you say. As for being 'boisterous', the rumors of drinking come up early and there's a speculative scene where he very mildly hits on Earhart while drinking the night before the last flight. He (the character) apologizes the next morning and all is forgiven and forgotten. Though that's all pure speculation, it wouldn't surprise me if the issue had arisen at some point during the circum-navigation given Earhart's well-known extra-marital activities and given the amount of time they spent together. Like I say, it's not played in the film as salacious gossip. It simply calls attention to something that every viewer has to be thinking. > > I think the square door I thought I saw, and mentioned previously, was a perspective trick. I checked the trailers online, hoping for a shot of Noonan's navigation station with the pelorus, and saw a different angle on the door --not square. > > -FER > > > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ NavList message boards: www.fer3.com/arc Or post by email to: NavList@fer3.com To , email NavList+@fer3.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---