"kha0z" wrote in message
...

Hello all, I'm still very unsure about the magnetic compass errors.
Mainly the Northerly Turning Error and the Acceleration Error. I been
researching on them on google, and I still don't understand what they
mean! If someone is free, please post a very simplified and easy to
understand guide about the errors.

From what I know about Northerly Turning Error, If the plane is heading
to the North, If you make a turn to East or West, there will be
something wrong with the Magnetic Compass? What is it..?

Then for the Acceleration Error, If the plane were to accelerate to
East or West, the magnetic compass will show a false turn to the North
but if the plane decelerates, it will show a false turn to the South.
But how does the magnetic compass even do that ? Thanks a lot!

Hope someone can clarify..


Simple answer (what you need to know when flying)-
If you are straight and not accelerating/decelerating - look at the
magnetic compass to determine your heading.

Otherwise, do not look at the magnetic compass.

Why?


The reason being is that the magnetic field is at an angle to the surface
of the earth. The compass does it's best to line up with the direction of
the magnetic field. When the plane of the compass is parallel to the
surface of the earth, it lines up with just the horizontal component of the
magnetic field. when you tip the compass (in a turn or due to acceleration)
it lines up along that tilted plane which brings in errors due to the
angled field.




Mount a compass on it's side and point it north/south and it will indicate
an angle in the same ball park as your latitude.



--
Geoff
The Sea Hawk at Wow Way d0t Com
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