I posted this question on the lat/long thread and thought it would be fun to start a thread for BM trivia. So without further adieu...
The typical belief is that 1 degree of latitude equals 60nm. In reality the distance of 1 degree of latitude depends on the latitude it is measured from. At what latitude is 1 degree truly 60 nm?
Did you mean 1 deg of long depends on what Lat you measure from?
Beacause 1 deg of Lat is always 60NM. But for Long at the equator 1 deg of Long = 60NM, but as you move towards the poles that decreases until it hits 0 at the poles.
Because the earth is not a perfect circle, but rather an oblate spheroid (sounds like something one should use Preparation H for). One degree of latitude/60 NM at the equator would not be the same at the pole. The nautical mile comes out something like 6076 feet, rather than 6000 ft. Or maybe it's each degree is 60 nm, but the length of each nautical mile is different the closer to the pole. And you are correct, it does & can make ones head hurt.
Once this one is satisfactorily settled,
Boatswains Mate trivia:
What rating was a BM3 ????
This message has been edited. Last edited by: MastersMate,
In 1929 an international conference in Monaco redefined the nautical mile to be exactly 1852 meters or 6076.11 feet, a distance known as the international nautical mile. The international nautical mile equals about 1.1508 statute miles. Actual degrees of latitude vary from about 59.7 (at the equator) to 60.3 nautical miles (at the poles), the only latitude which once can truly measure 60nm is at 45N or 45S.
On 31 March 1995, Coast Guard Communication Area Master Station Atlantic (CAMSLANT) sent a final message by Morse Code and then signed off, officially ending more than 100 years of telegraph communications. Three operator's used their skills to regretfully end a tradition of Coast Guard communications services to all nations. The operator's names and ranks were: Telecommunication Specialist First Class Jerry D. "Burly" Burleson; Telecommunication Specialist Second Class Timothy L. Hilf; Telecommunication Specialist Third Class Sergio M. Morales. At 010030Z APR 95 the last message was delivered to those that were copying the Morse code signals by the three operator's. Once completed, the operator's secured the equipment carrying out the order given by the Commanding Officer Captain Freddy L. Montoya. The official logs and Morse code hand keys are on display at CAMSLANT Chesapeake ending the era of pounding brass and sparking clicks.
Maybe flanking rudders, such as if you take a single screw and put twin rudders on it. The rudders would be flanking the screw and provide a much higher turning force instead of 1 rudder. I assume it would exponetially increase with the number of screws. i.e. 2 or more rudders for each screw?
