Need help! Magnetic Compass Errors!

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..

The magnet likes to stay aligned with the north pole
So if heading north and you turn either to the E or W, the magnet resists
the turn and will initially indicate that you have turned the other way.
If you are heading other than north, the magnet will rush to get to north
and will accelerate towards north, giving the impression that the turn rate
is faster than actual.
So if you are heading S, E or W and make a turn, it will initially indicate
the proper direction of turn.

"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..




--
kha0z

BT schrieb:

The magnet likes to stay aligned with the north pole
So if heading north and you turn either to the E or W, the magnet resists
the turn
....

Hilarious!

Ok I understand much better now. Thanks a lot BT and Dan for the good answers. And thanks guys, for giving a reply too

kha0z schrieb:
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..





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_compass_turns

KH

Karl-Heinz Künzel schrieb:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_compass_turns

Did you read this article? It explains exactly nothing.

On Jan 1, 9:46*am, Stefan wrote:
Karl-Heinz Künzel schrieb:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_compass_turns

Did you read this article? It explains exactly nothing.

A better one:
http://pilotsweb.com/navigate/compass.htm

And a better layout of the magnetic lines of force that cause compass
errors:
http://www.geology.ohio-state.edu/~v.../xfig25_14.jpg

Because the lines of force are not parallel to the earth's surface
except near the equator, anytime we tip a magnetic compass's card its
magnet will want to point downward toward the earth's core. If its
level it's pretty accurate. So in turns or during acceleration or
deceleration, the card tips and the magnet points elsewhere than where
we'd like it.

Dan

On Jan 1, 11:18*am, wrote:
On Jan 1, 9:46*am, Stefan wrote:

Karl-Heinz Künzel schrieb:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_compass_turns

Did you read this article? It explains exactly nothing.

* A better one:http://pilotsweb.com/navigate/compass.htm

And a better layout of the magnetic lines of force that cause compass
errors:http://www.geology.ohio-state.edu/~v...xfig25_14..jpg

Because the lines of force are not parallel to the earth's surface
except near the equator, anytime we tip a magnetic compass's card its
magnet will want to point downward toward the earth's core. If its
level it's pretty accurate. So in turns or during acceleration or
deceleration, the card tips and the magnet points elsewhere than where
we'd like it.

* * * * *Dan

I should have added that at high latitudes, where the dip is
severe, the compass is not accurate and isn't used. In northern Canada
we have the Area of Compass Unreliability; see
http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/geomag/field/compass_e.php

In this area pilots may use the sun's true bearing tables, which give
a direction based on an accurate time. Of course, most rely on GPS...

Dan

Due to the construvtion principle, a whisky compass tilts when
accelerated. The result is that the vertical component of the earth's
magnetic will turn it.

"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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