Finnish Navigation Aid

[Martti]

750 000 aerial photographs along with other items were uncovered from a barn about the be burned at Central Finland at Tikkakoski municipality in 2007. They were storaged after the Second World War and forgotten after much of the wartime personnel was released from the service. Among the finds were 10 000 navigation aids manufactured by Finnish Uittokalusto Oy. These are rather interesting pieces; they can be used to measure various distances (e.g. 250 and 500 meters) from several scales (e.g. 1:21 000, 1:50 000, 1:100 000 etc.) and have an etched angular mil scale to estimate the steepness of hills. They will fetch only around an euro at Finnish Defence Forces shops.

 

[Danceswithhelicopters]

Oo, I like those!

 

[Martti]

Behind the link a drawing from Uittokalusto's 1938 Catalog. It states that are made of brass with raised etching. They're maybe around 10 cm in length.

 

[Zingmo]

Now that is really simple. So much more durable and field-usable than the opisometer type. Now I just need to find one in 1:25000 and 1:50000.

Z

 

[Martti]

Now I just need to find one in 1:25000 and 1:50000.

Would it not be easier just to purchase this one and divide all the readings from 1:100 000 by two or alternatively multiple the readings from 1:25 000 by two? Actually what I have understood that there are several of models (I, II and III) that are sold as the same. The III has scales for 1:20 000, 1:25 000, 1:50 000 and 1:100 000.

 

[Ogri the trog]

Would it not be easier just to purchase this one and divide all the readings from 1:100 000 by two or alternatively multiple the readings from 1:25 000 by two?

It might well be Martti - but where from? Do you have any links to places that will sell across Europe?

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Martti]

Do you have any links to places that will sell across Europe?

Here's one for the Model III. What I have understood, they will ship items inside Europe. However send an email first to their address "info (email-sign) supernova.fi". As I said, they cost around 1€ at the official FDF shops but they do not sell their items online. I am going to one in a month, so if there's any interest, I can try to set up a group buy for them.

 

[Zingmo]

I was just thinking it was a brilliant idea, but needs to fit the maps in use. 1:25000 and 1:100000 would be second best. I'm sure before long, one could be knocked up from some durable plastic material in scales to fit the Ordnance Survey maps and be in Aldi before the Summer!

Z

 

[Martti]

I was just thinking it was a brilliant idea, but needs to fit the maps in use.

Since the patent is no longer enforced, it should not be a large task to scan the diagram to a computer and fit the scales to one's liking. The only task left is to order a few of them from any etching shop. Shouldn't cost more than a few euro per piece in a long run.

 

[Ogri the trog]

Here's one for the Model III. What I have understood, they will ship items inside Europe. However send an email first to their address "info (email-sign) supernova.fi". As I said, they cost around 1€ at the official FDF shops but they do not sell their items online. I am going to one in a month, so if there's any interest, I can try to set up a group buy for them.

Thanks Martti,
I had been searching for a while without finding any leads.

Ogri the trog

 

[BOD]

Please will someone post a link to a site where it explains how these are used. I have seen opsiometers but can't work out how these Finnish measurers work.

 

[Martti]

I have seen opsiometers but can't work out how these Finnish measurers work.

The steepness of a hill can be measured by looking into the distance of two contour lines. The tool offers two settings, one when the contour is printed every five meter and the other for ten meter contours. If, for example, the distance of two countour lines on the map is exactly the same as the length of corresponding line on the tool at 1°, the hill angle is thus 1°.