This is a crucial component of the V-2 ballistic missile guidance system deployed by the Germans during World War II. It used a spinning gyroscope, mounted off-axis, to meaure the acceleration of the missile, and sent a signal to cut off the rocket motor when a desired velocity was achieved.
The device was given to the Smithsonian by the U.S. Navy in 1948, but otherwise its provenance is unknown.
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.