Avionics Bending: Linear Position Encoding - Non Synchro Based

Flight Systems Linear Encoder

Steel Cable and Mounting Hardware on the Encoder

The museum received a number of these really neat position encoders. They are spring loaded and have a steel cable with a mounting ring that drive a precession potentiometer. I think that these devices will come in very handy to encode rudder positions. As a matter of fact, I think that this is what the presented device was really used for on the B727, DC9 and MD80. Below is a short video that shows the device in action .... you can see on the Oscilloscope screen in the background the output from the pot.