Bubble Face Compass

[midniteflyer52]

Heads up Tribe,

I just spotted a Carwill compass for sale on ebay listed under Taylorcraft.

Regards,

Glen Brodeur
TF #42
Putnam, CT

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Bubble Face Compass

Got an item number? It isn't showing up on mine (no, I won't be bidding, but I have looked at enough of them to spot some of the problems they can have).
Hank

[midniteflyer52]

Re: Bubble Face Compass

Hank,

The item # is 190422648742. I always use the advanced search feature and check title and description box. I also saw a Kollsman bubble face compass this morning on Barnstormers-$895-Yikes! Speaking of compasses, please count me in for one of those compass logos that you're working on.
Thanks,

Glen

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Bubble Face Compass

Just so everyone knows what we are looking at. This is a PANEL mount bubble face compass, NOT the one that goes up by the trim handle. You could machine off the mounting lugs and mount it in a dome pylon mount if you can find a dome (if anyone has an aluminum dome for the compass let me know, I have been looking for one for over a decade).
All in all at a hundred dollars that compass would be a steal, but the minimum hasn't been met yet. I haven't seen the one on Barnstormers, but if it is the right one for the Taylorcraft and is in repairable condition $895 doesn't sound bad.
As hard as the old bubble face compasses are to find I would bid on the eBay one as long as my IA would still sign off on it once it was modified and in the dome (you WOULD want to send it in to be overhauled even if it was working). It would be great if your instrument shop would agree to yellow tag it after the lugs were gone. There is no safety reason to reject the modified compass, but the FAA regs don't always take logic into consideration.
Hank

[Bird]

Re: Bubble Face Compass

I guess I got real lucky when I picked up a large face round tach and a bubble face compass for $900. Sometimes God likes me.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Bubble Face Compass

I have about $1,000 in mine now, but when you see it from the pilots seat it sure looks grand! Not sure if it's $1,000 worth of grand, but it sure is easier to read than the small Airpath and looks "right" in the Taylorcraft.
One thing was, it was a BEAR to get the nuts on the mount bolts at the tube apex! I was worried a $1,000 compass would be a theft risk, but it would take an hour for a thief to get the fasteners out. A little hint, the job was a LOT easier with the windshield out! CG must have been smiling on me when I had to remove the "glass" before putting in the overhauled compass for other work anyway.
Hank

[48fordnut]

Re: Bubble Face Compass

I have 2 of the bubble face with the hanging mt. both need o/h. Time is running out for me and I would like to sell both.I will try and get some pics if interested. Several yrs ago, I did a lot of Taylorcraft work.
lmk, jim

[CFLEEPIO]

Re: Bubble Face Compass

Hi Jim,

I'm looking for two of the hanging type for my projects. Will you be able to ship to South Africa? - UPS would be best as local mail is notorious. If so I'll pay the costs.

Regards,
Charles

[48fordnut]

Re: Bubble Face Compass

sent pm.

[CFLEEPIO]

Re: Bubble Face Compass

Jim,

The instruments arrived OK. I am ecstatic at the prospect of getting my two babies kitted out with authentic AirPath compasses. Although in need of TLC I can visualize now how great my cockpits are going to look. Many, many thanks for your efforts.

Best regards,
Charles Flee

[senior]

Re: Bubble Face Compass

Could I be so bold as to ask some-one to post a pic of a bubble faced compass so I know what you-all is talki about

Here is the original compass for my project....I think?

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Bubble Face Compass

These are the two bubble face compasses I have. One has a square face mask and the other a round one. These types mount in the pylon mount in the first photo. I also have a couple of the same model in your photos. They mount in the support pylon in your photo by the top two mount lugs. There is a dome that can be attached to the front that makes it look a lot like the bubble face ones and sometimes I have also seen the lower two lugs filed or machined off.
Hope it helps.
Hank

[senior]

Re: Bubble Face Compass

Thanks Hank

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Bubble Face Compass

For anyone looking there is another Bubble Face Compass on E-Bay at

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Taylorcraft-Bubble-Face-Compass-/140991035628?pt=Motors_Aviation_Parts_Gear&hash=item20d3b878ec&vxp=mtr

It looks to be pretty rough but of the glass is intact it can be rebuilt by Keystone to like new. A couple of things,

1) If you buy it see if you can get him NOT to drain the fluid! It isi VERY easy to chip the glass and ruin the compass. I tried a LOT of glass grinders and none would take on making a replacement glass. Did I mention these were some of the companies who took on fixing the Hubble Telescope lenses? DON'T LET HIM MESS WITH THE GLASS or remove the screws!!

2) The face of the compass card has Radium on it. You can ship it but it MUST BE MARKED CORRECTLY or the radiation sensors at the shipping company will go off and they will DESTROY THE COMPASS! Get the instructions from UPS or FedX on shipping it first. It wasn't expensive to ship and I have done two. If you mail it through the US Post Office you will never see it again and will probably have Homeland Security asking you some hard to answer questions (the circumstances are not hard, but they won't ask you about what happened, only what they want you to talk about, and that won't make any sense).

Lastly, who is selling it? Is it anyone in the group? Anyone know the person if they aren't in the group?

Hank

[NC36061]

Re: Bubble Face Compass

Sold for $570