Word: compasses
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1930-1939
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...operation, the Kruesi Radio Homing Compass is simplicity itself. You tune in on a commercial broadcast, listen to Paul Whiteman or Father Coughlin. Then you switch off the earphones, turn on the bearing-indicator. A pointer on the instrument-board dial guides you so accurately to the broadcasting station that if a balloon were sent up from it on a string you would cut the string in half, flying blind. By taking cross-bearings on two broadcasting stations you can determine your position to a hair's breadth...
Unfortunately, there are no broadcasting stations out in the Pacific. Director Vidal's Douglas was to determine: 1) whether land stations on both sides had sufficient range to make the Kruesi Compass practicable in transpacific flying; 2) whether ships' transmitters could be used in lieu of broadcasting stations; 3) whether it would be practicable to anchor miniature seadromes at intervals over the Pacific, use them as 24-hr. broadcasting stations. Estimated useful range of the Kruesi Compass over water was 700 mi., out-&-out maximum 1,500 mi. The windowless Douglas, manned by Army blind flying experts, took...
...having revolutionized long-distance flying, is at 38 neither rich nor famed. Born in Switzerland (his father was a butcher), he studied engineering at Zurich Polytechnic Institute, arrived in the U. S. 15 years ago. In California he worked under Dr. Frederick August Kolster, famed "father of the radio compass," at Federal Telegraph Co., Palo Alto...
There he met Herbert Hoover Jr., went over to Western Air Express when that company made Junior Hoover its chief radio engineer. It was while working there in 1930, under Junior Hoover's supervision, that Geoffrey Kruesi invented the Homing Compass (TIME, Dec. 29, 1930). Lacking funds to develop it, Western Air Express soon dropped Inventor Kruesi from its payroll. In 1931 he was hired by the Army, has lived modestly in Dayton ever since...
...Army has spent some $100,000 perfecting the Kruesi Compass, has made it a compact unit which weighs less than 45 lb., fits in a small box. Patent rights are owned by the U. S. Government, manufacturing rights by Fairchild Aviation Corp., which paid Inventor Kruesi a modest advance royalty. Last week the Fairchild factory at Woodside, L. I. was working day & night to fill an Army order for 500 Kruesi Compasses. From this $150,000 order, Inventor Kruesi will receive not one penny. Reason: He is a Government employe, may not profit from Government expenditures...