The Gyrosyn compass

IN all military and commercial aircraft, the gyroscope is depended on for attitude and direction references. The vertical spinning gyroscope provides attitude indication in the form of the artificial horizon. At present, other attitude representations based on the vertical gyroscope are available. The use of the vertical gyroscope has been accepted for 15 years or more, and will be further improved for indication of roll and pitch but probably never superseded. The indication of azimuth, or heading of the airplane, which is actually the attitude around the vertical axis called direction, up to the present has had no standard means of presentation. In the past, magnetic compasses have been used for this purpose. These instruments for aircraft use are imperfect, and it has been found necessary to supplement this type of indication with a secondary reference in the form of a directional gyroscope. With the addition of the directional gyroscope, the inherent defects of the compass are greatly minimized. These defects are well known and can be stated as 1. Lack of stability. 2. Northerly turning error.