aircraft recording bubble sextant, A-10
Date: circa 1940
Inventory Number: 5265
Classification: Sextant
Dimensions:sextant: 10.2 × 14.5 × 20.3 cm (4 × 5 11/16 × 8 in.)
case: 15.2 × 23.2 × 23.6 cm (6 × 9 1/8 × 9 5/16 in.)
Accessories: Square mahogany box, instructions, advertisement from Edmund Salvage Co., paper charts, battery case, spare prism, spare bubble chamber, spare counter, and spare eyepiece with eyeguard.
Bibliography:Type A-10 aircraft sextant manual (AN 05-35-12) and related documents
Description:
Rotating prism type bubble sextant with black crackle finish, 2 shades, and marker assembly.
It still has prisms and celluloid disks with it. the internal bubble chamber has an external, pivoted, smoked glass shade. The rotating prism has a small pencil lead.
It comes with a case [not original], and instructions.
SignedFairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation
InscribedPROPERTY AIR FORCES, U.S. ARMY/ SEXTANT/NAME OF ARTICLE/ A-10A AF44-2738/TYPE SERIAL NUMBER / W30-053 AC-806 27473 / ORDER NO. SPEC NO. / M'F'RS. ASSEMBLY DWG. NO. E320-K1/ M'F'R'D BY/ FAIRCHILD CAMERA AND INSTRUMENT CORPORATION/ NEW YORK, N.Y.
FunctionMade for navigation in aircraft.
Historical AttributesAfter World War II, this aircraft sextant was sold as salvage by Edmund Salvage Company. The price when new to the government was about $200. When repaired and collimated after wartime use, the sextant sold for $12.50.
This particular example was purchased in October 1950 by Radcliffe College for use in the Physics Department in Byerly Hall.
ProvenanceRadcliffe College, 1950; John Losch, Holliston, MA, 1963; David P. Wheatland, Topsfield, MA, before 1977; gift to CHSI, 1977.