RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN POLAR NAVIGATION

Major William E. Molett

Peer Reviewed

Abstract:	In the summer of 1951 a study was made of the accuracy of polar navigation. The maximum distance off course on fifty Ptarmigan missions averaged 31.1 nautical miles. The average distance between the DR position and the MPP or fix was 11.8 nautical miles. A similar sampling of fifty Ptarmigan missions made recently revealed these errors had been reduced considerably. Average maximum distance off course was 18.9 nautical miles; a reduction of 12.2 nautical miles or about 40 percent. Average distance between the DR position and the hourly MPP or fix was 3.2 nautical miles; a reduction of 8.6 nautical miles or 74 per cent. The new N-1 gyro is being installed in our aircraft which should reduce our navigation errors much further.
Published in:	NAVIGATION: Journal of the Institute of Navigation, Volume 4, Number 3
Pages:	118 - 121
Cite this article:	Molett, Major William E., "RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN POLAR NAVIGATION", NAVIGATION: Journal of The Institute of Navigation, Vol. 4, No. 3, 1954, pp. 118-121.
Full Paper:	ION Members/Non-Members: 1 Download Credit Sign In