Drift Meter, Type B-5, Kodak

This drift meter is no longer available, as it is being returned to the sky in the warbird restoration project Douglas C-53 Skytrooper "Beach City Baby" by Vintage Wings.  We are honored to be able to assist in this wonderful restoration project.

This aircraft Drift Meter, type B-5, was used in several US Army Air Force bomber and transport aircraft, including the B-17 and B-24.  The B-5 drift meter is used to measure the angle between the heading of the aircraft and its actual path over the ground, thus used to correct the course of the aircraft.  The instrument's viewing port projects from the side of the aircraft.  When viewing the ground through the eyepiece while in flight, the navigator observes the travel of fixed objects across the lens.  With a pencil mounted in the receptacle on the movable arm, these objects are tracked across the lens and their path transferred in pencil to the recording pad manually by the navigator.  Once done, the drift angle is determined and course correction calculated and communicated to the pilot.

Here's a helpful video by another enthusiast on how it works B-5 Drift Meter.