The magnetic compass KI-13 is designed to determine and maintain the compass heading of an aircraft, as well as to position the aircraft in a given direction after a turn.
The principle of operation of the compass is based on the use of the property of a freely suspended magnet, shaped like a rod, to be installed in the cavity of the Earth's magnetic meridian. A magnetic compass is installed above the instrument panel, along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.
The KI-13 magnetic compass is a backup heading device and is used by the aircraft crew when the GIK-1 gyroinduction compass fails. However, during the flight, the aircraft crew is obliged to periodically observe the readings of the KI-13 compass as giving a general orientation about the aircraft's course, and compare these readings with the readings of the GIK-1 compass for timely detection of its malfunction.
To eliminate semicircular deviation, ranging from 20 to 50°, a deviation device is mounted at the bottom of the housing. When eliminating compass deviation, rollers with the inscription “N-S”, “B-3” are rotated, indicating the courses at which the semicircular deviation is eliminated. The readings are taken using the heading line mounted on the inner front part of the device. There is a membrane inside the device body, which serves to compensate for changes in the volume of liquid when the temperature changes.
Magnetic compass KI-13
Purpose and principle of operation. The magnetic compass KI-13 is designed to determine and maintain the compass heading of an aircraft, as well as to position the aircraft in a given direction after a turn.
The principle of operation of the compass is based on the use of the property of a freely suspended magnet, shaped like a rod, to be installed in the cavity of the Earth's magnetic meridian. A magnetic compass is installed above the instrument panel, along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.
A magnetic compass works as follows. In rectilinear horizontal flight, the card is installed to the plane of the magnetic meridian (in the North-South direction) and maintains a constant direction relative to the Earth. When the plane turns, the Earth's magnetic field holds the card with the scale in a constant position, and the heading line connected to the instrument body rotates to the same angle as the plane, showing the magnitude of the plane's rotation angle.
The KI-13 compass works normally when the aircraft rolls up to 17°; above that, the compass card touches the internal parts of the device, and it becomes inoperable.