WWII Fl.23211 FK 5 Compass for WWII Aircraft

WWII Fl.23211 FK 5 Compass for WWII Aircraft - d464c - Compasses & Navigation - The Fl.23211 Führerkompass FK 5 was a pilot's compass used in German aircraft during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Manufactured by W. Ludolph A.G. in Bremerhaven, this compa

Code : d464c
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Description

The Fl.23211 Führerkompass FK 5 was a pilot's compass used in German aircraft during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Manufactured by W. Ludolph A.G. in Bremerhaven, this compass was installed in aircraft such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 E.

The FK 5 featured a metal housing designed for panel mounting, conforming to the 80 mm instrument standard of the time. Its internal structure included a compass card (rosette) mounted on a pivot within a fluid-filled spherical chamber, which provided damping to stabilize the compass reading during flight. The fluid also acted as a magnifying lens, enhancing the readability of the compass card. For calibration purposes, the compass was equipped with compensating magnets housed in external tubes or boxes, allowing adjustments to counteract magnetic deviations caused by the aircraft's metal structure and electronic equipment.

It's important to note that the designation "FK 5" was used by Ludolph for different compass models over time. The initial FK 5 appeared in the 1920s as a compass with a metal housing, available in both standing and hanging versions. In the mid-1930s, a new FK 5 model was introduced, featuring the 80 mm panel-mount design described above. Post-1955, Ludolph released another FK 5, which was a reissue of the FK 38 model, this time with a Bakelite housing.

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Type and usage