NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: UNK
Date: 2014 Nov 21, 07:11 -0000
Hi Sam,
The Brown-Nassau is not really a plotter at all (incorrectly called this at the SI) It is really a graphic circular slide rule for working out Hc and Az from given values of Lat, LHA and dec. Much quicker than using cosine formula, log tables etc , more compact than books of reduction tables and potentially much easier in a small plane that it was designed for. Not sure why it wasn’t made standard in USAF and RAF, but maybe Celnav not so important after 1945? Not sure what Gary thinks?
Either way, this thing is now very rare apparently and in danger of extinction! (only one located so far is in the SI and that might be out “on loan” . Oh dear!). I’ve decided it is therefore my solemn duty to build a working replica, hopefully using accurate scans/photos of the SI original.
Best wishes
Francis
From: NavList@fer3.com [mailto:NavList@fer3.com] On Behalf Of Samuel L
Sent: 21 November 2014 05:21
To: francisupchurch@gmail.com
Subject: [NavList] Re: Brown-Nassau CN Plotter
Would someone please explain to me what a plotter is for?
Can they be used to easily layout an intercept on a UPS?
Sam Lohengrin
