What is the world is that ASA E6-B appendage?

Aye Effaar

Aye Effaar

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JC
Does anyone know what that weird black circular attachment is on the ASA E6-B is? For the life of me, I can't see any use for it.

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Don’t listen….

That’s a density altitude calibration ring. EVERYONE knows that…
 
If you can see blue sky through it, you're probably ok for VFR.
 
nauga said:
Does anyone know what that weird silver and blue attachment on the ASA lanyard fitting is? For the life of me, I can't see any use for it.

Nauga,
on the fly
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I’m more of a Jepp CR man myself. :D
 
anti-theft. You should remove it before using the lanyard fitting.
 
It's part of the mounting system so you can attach it to one shoulder of your white pilot shirt, opposite the epaulet on the other shoulder.
 
Wow, so much silliness and ignorance in this thread.

That feature is an important component of the wind triangle side of the E6B. It's a compensation ring and many E6Bs have them, particularly larger models. It has been carefully sized and calibrated for each particular model to provide magnetic compensation that minimizes inherent errors in determining magnetic heading.
 
Half Fast said:
Wow, so much silliness and ignorance in this thread.

That feature is an important component of the wind triangle side of the E6B. It's a compensation ring and many E6Bs have them, particularly larger models. It has been carefully sized and calibrated for each particular model to provide magnetic compensation that minimizes inherent errors in determining magnetic heading.
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I thought it was compensating for the fact that the wind triangle side isn’t actually a triangle, but rather a circle and a rectangle.
 
The E6B was originally designed to be a multipurpose tool, and the ring was where the handle was attached to use it as a sling psychrometer.
 
It's obviously a magnecoptic marzlevane for measuring the transductive flux.
 
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MauleSkinner said:
It’s for a lanyard to hang it around your neck, since it doesn’t fit in your pocket.
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Man -- I just couldn't buy that. I've been flying for over 20 years and I've never seen someone hang an e6b around their neck. No way (I thought) would ASA spend money all these years for something like that. So I emailed their support department. Turns our you were pretty much spot on. Here's their answer:

...The loop piece on the E6B was designed so that pilots could attach it to their flight suits so that it would not get lost in the cockpit. The E6B was originally designed in the 1930s for military pilots and today the loop remains so that you can attach it to a flight bag or something else in the cockpit...
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Go figure
 
What? Didn’t trust us? I’m hurt…. And surprised they knew!! Ha!

Gotta say, jumping out of a F4B with that flailing around doesn’t sound like a great idea.
 
That's a highly sought-after E6-B sextant. You line up your star of choice in the little sighting hole, then read the angle above the horizon on the circular scale.
 
Half Fast said:
The first time I saw one of those was in the old WWII submarine movie "Destination Tokyo." Pretty cool. I spent a while googling before I found out what it was.
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I first saw one in grade school, when the science teacher took us outside to demonstrate. I was the designated 'slinger'.

In retrospect, it would have worked better if he'd shortened the cord, or I'd been taller, or I'd slung horizontally instead of vertically, As it was, I sheared the bulbs off of two nice mercury thermometers.
 
It's a size reference. You might be able to fly in hail smaller than that.
 
Half Fast said:
The first time I saw one of those was in the old WWII submarine movie "Destination Tokyo." Pretty cool. I spent a while googling before I found out what it was.
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I grew up on an airport with a Flight Service Station…they taught me how to do a few things like that. I had to google to find the name of it, though.
 
All wrong answers so far. The real purpose is to have a place to put your micro ink well for your aviation quill pen. Because yes, that is how old the E6B is...... :)
 
Half Fast said:
The first time I saw one of those was in the old WWII submarine movie "Destination Tokyo." Pretty cool. I spent a while googling before I found out what it was.
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I seem to remember that Mr. Spock was shown with an E6B in his hand in one of the Star Trek episodes. If so, it must be useful in interstellar space.
 
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Gilbert Buettner said:
I seem to remember that Mr. Spock was shown with an E6B in his hand in one of the Star Trek episodes. If so, it must be useful in interstellar space.
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Always nice to have conversions for pressure altitude and true airspeed when in the vacuum of space. Hopefully they at least had speed conversions in % of C or some warp factors.
 
Gilbert Buettner said:
I seem to remember that Mr. Spock was shown with an E6B in his hand in one of the Star Trek episodes. If so, it must be useful in interstellar space.
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