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Name: Fuzzy M.
Status: Educator
Age: 30s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
Do the magnetic compasses in aircraft have weights to compensate for the magnetic dip of the Earths magnetic field?


Replies:
Hello Fuzzy -

I have been around airplanes for over thirty years and have never heard of compensating weights in compasses. It is an interesting thought, but might have a lot of problems to solve to make it work. Magnetic dip is very different in different locations on the earth and is affected by the bank of the aircraft. It works the opposite in the northern and southern hemispheres and is also contingent on the current direction of the aircraft.

I would not want to discourage invention, but this might take a lot of inventing! Good luck trying.

Larry Krengel


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