NavList:

I wrote:

I don't know how it would have been used for drift sights mounted in the 
window since you must look directly behind the aircraft to measure the 
drift. I had heard (I don't remember where) that a provision was made to 
prop the door out slightly and to mount the sight in the gap so that an 
observation towards the tail could be made.

The inventory done after the take off accident lends support for Noonan being able to mount the MK IIB drift sight in the opened door to be able to take drift sights on objects directly behind the airplane.

http://www.tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Documents/Luke_Field.html
 

Item

122

*1

"

Pelorus drift sight, MK II B with extra base

But in addition to these standard mounts for the the MK II B,


Item

60

*1

Ea.

Base Plate for speed and drift meter

item

48

1

"

Drift meter stand

seems to be a description of a mount for it that might be placed to hold it in the opened door.

The inventory also answers some of the other questions.


Item

96

2

Navigation tables for Mariners and Aviators

which is the title for Dreisenstok, H.O. 208.

Noonan's letter to Weems states that he always uses Dreisenstok.

and item

92

2

"

American Nautical Almanac 1937

gl



Gary LaPook wrote:

I have attached three photos from Morissey's book showing the MK II 
drift sight/pelorus in the window of NR16020. I have also attached 
another picture I found on line showing the same thing. I have included 
an excerpt from H.O. 216 explaining how the MK II was used for taking 
drift sights. I have attached four photos of my MK II C which differs 
from the MK II used by Noonan only in the sighting head, the MK IIC uses 
an illuminated reflector sight while the earlier model had a plain 
sighting tube. It consists of a base plate with a rotatable scale (used 
for taking bearings) that can be locked in place and the sighting head 
on an extendable shaft with an indicator arm mounted at the bottom. The 
head is placed into the base and extended to the proper height and 
locked into place. For taking drift readings the rotatable scale is not 
used, just the fixed drift scale.

I don't know how it would have been used for drift sights mounted in the 
window since you must look directly behind the aircraft to measure the 
drift. I had heard (I don't remember where) that a provision was made to 
prop the door out slightly and to mount the sight in the gap so that an 
observation towards the tail could be made.

gl
frankreed@HistoricalAtlas.com wrote:
  

Jackie, you wrote:
"One of the few things we know for sure is there was a pelorus fitted on a bracket at the starboard window which I understood him to have used to take bearings. This is shown in several photographs."

Can anyone point me to one of these photos somewhere online? I tried to find one. Based on the text descriptions I've found of the gear in the navigator's station on the Electra, I would now guess that the current film got the details exactly correct visually.

And you wrote:
"I havent seen the film yet, but I have heard it pays scant attention to Noonan. But at least this time round they get the resemblance right. Apparently he is portayed as unintelligent and boisterous. Quite the opposite. He was highly intelligent and quiet spoken."

I wouldn't say that he's portrayed as 'unintelligent' --it's just that his character is barely fleshed out --"scant attention" just as you say. As for being 'boisterous', the rumors of drinking come up early and there's a speculative scene where he very mildly hits on Earhart while drinking the night before the last flight. He (the character) apologizes the next morning and all is forgiven and forgotten. Though that's all pure speculation, it wouldn't surprise me if the issue had arisen at some point during the circum-navigation given Earhart's well-known extra-marital activities and given the amount of time they spent together. Like I say, it's not played in the film as salacious gossip. It simply calls attention to something that every viewer has to be thinking.

I think the square door I thought I saw, and mentioned previously, was a perspective trick. I checked the trailers online, hoping for a shot of Noonan's navigation station with the pelorus, and saw a different angle on the door --not square.  

-FER



    

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