Country of Origin: Germany
Dimensions:
3-D Test: 35.6 x 30.5 x 22.9cm (14 x 12 x 9 in.)
Materials:
Case: probably aluminum. Gyroscopes: metal.
This is a fragment of an autopilot used to control the World War II-era flying bomb "V-1," which was launched from ramps in German-controlled territory on the continent of Europe to targets in England. A V-1 autopilot used a set of gyroscopes to maintain attitude, data from a magnetic compass to maintain course, and a timer driven by a propeller to determing the point of engine cutoff and dive to the target. This fragment contains parts primarily from the timing mechanism.
Transferred to the Museum from the U.S. War Department Air Services in 1960.
Transferred from the United States Air Force
