The Earth
Inductor Compass Originally published in Aero Digest, June 1927 By Brice Goldsborough
Pioneer Instrument Company Vintage Airplane editor’s note: Long gone from our modern instrument panels, the Earth Inductor Compass (EIC) was a marvel of modern engineering when Charles Lindbergh used one in May of 1927 to help keep the Spirit of St. Louis headed in the right direction during his solo hop across the North Atlantic. Its method of operation is fascinating. Here’s an explanation of the inner workings of the EIC from one of the engineers responsible for its creation in the mid-1920s.—HGF
20 APRIL 2005