A maneuvering board is an aid to

navigation Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navigation, ...

. It is typically a writing surface with a pre-printed

compass rose A compass rose, sometimes called a wind rose, rose of the winds or compass star, is a figure on a compass, map, nautical chart, or monument used to display the orientation of the cardinal directions (north, east, south, and west) and their int ...

polar coordinates In mathematics, the polar coordinate system is a two-dimensional coordinate system in which each point on a plane is determined by a distance from a reference point and an angle from a reference direction. The reference point (analogous to the or ...

about a central point, often including adjacent

linear scale A linear scale, also called a bar scale, scale bar, graphic scale, or graphical scale, is a means of visually showing the scale of a map, nautical chart, engineering drawing, or architectural drawing. A scale bar is common element of map layo ...

s, and sometimes a time/speed/distance

nomogram A nomogram (from Greek , "law" and , "line"), also called a nomograph, alignment chart, or abac, is a graphical calculating device, a two-dimensional diagram designed to allow the approximate graphical computation of a mathematical function. ...

. With the aid of a marking device,

dividers A caliper (British spelling also calliper, or in plurale tantum sense a pair of calipers) is a device used to measure the dimensions of an object. Many types of calipers permit reading out a measurement on a ruled scale, a dial, or a digital dis ...

, and parallel

ruler A ruler, sometimes called a rule, line gauge, or scale, is a device used in geometry and technical drawing, as well as the engineering and construction industries, to measure distances or draw straight lines. Variants Rulers have long ...

s, the maneuvering board provides a template for graphical solution of relative motion problems.

History

Prior to widespread availability of pocket calculators and computers, maneuvering boards were used aboard ships and aircraft to provide rapid solutions to commonly encountered relative motion problems. Availability of

RADAR Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

distance information improved solutions obtained with stadimeter estimates. When operating in a formation of ships, navigation personnel were encouraged to add the relative positions of the other ships in formation to their maneuvering boards to clarify station changing problems when orders were received.

Applications

Where observation of fixed points is available, the maneuvering board can be used to estimate wind and/or current and course corrections required to reach a desired destination. Ships can use maneuvering boards to estimate true wind speed and direction from course, speed, and observed wind speed and direction. When true wind is known, the maneuvering board can be used to determine the required ship course and speed for a desired relative wind to launch or recover aircraft. Ships most frequently used maneuvering boards to estimate the course and speed of other ships and determine the closest point of approach. Naval ships used such information to avoid or intercept other ships and to provide intercept courses for straight-running

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...

es. Ships operating together used maneuvering boards to determine course and speed required to change station within formation.

Sources

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