Object Details
- Manufacturer
- AC Spark Plug Division, General Motors Corporation
- Summary
- This device measured acceleration by means of a gyroscope, which was mounted in such a way as to act as a pendulum. The resulting mechanism performed a mechanical integration of the measurement of acceleration, which by Netwon's calculus gives the velocity. Because the gyroscope acted as a pendulum, and because the properties of the gyroscope gave the mathematical inegration of acceleration, it was called a "PIGA," for "pendulous Integrating Gyro Acclerometer." The "25" referred to the diameter of the housing for the gyroscope rotor, 2.5 inches (about 6.3 centimeters).
- Among the several ballistic missiles and spacecraft that used these devices was the Titan II Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, which was also used to launch m,anned and unmanned Gemini space capsules.
- The MIT Instrumentation laboratory, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, designed this device; it was manufactured by the AC Spark Plug Division of General Motors.
- Credit Line
- Gift of Delphi Electronics & Safety
- Inventory Number
- A20090048000
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- INSTRUMENTS-Navigational
- Materials
- Aluminum
- Steel
- Copper Alloy
- Plastic
- Rubber
- Synthetic
- Paper
- Coating
- Unknown Metal
- Ceramic
- Dimensions
- 3-D: 19.7 × 11.4 × 10.8cm, 2.4kg (7 3/4 × 4 1/2 × 4 1/4 in., 5.2lb.)
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- See more items in
- National Air and Space Museum Collection
- National Air and Space Museum
- Record ID
- nasm_A20090048000
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv9e90f07f1-ded5-4744-b467-17fc660bcb37
