The Air Position Indicator (API) was a remarkable electromechanical system of dead reckoning. It took inputs from airspeed sensors and gyro magnetic compasses and continuously computed latitude and longitude. This system became standard on the American B-29. The API foreshadowed the future importance of computing in navigation.
Caption:
This electo-mechanical system computed positions based on a series of dead reckoning inputs.
Type: Artifact
Image Date: 2012
Credit: National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
Origin: National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
