1941 David White Co. U.S. Navy quintant Figure 1: The 1941 David White Co. U.S. Navy quintant. I've obtained this quintant on a trip to Egypt. It was the first navigational instrument in my collection and came together with the Societe des Lunetieres theodolite. I was told that the instrument arrived in Europe during the second world war on board of an US Navy vessel. After the war the vessel and it's sextant(s) was sold to Egypt. One of the Egyptian officers took the instrument back home when he retired. It comes with a case that includes a calibration table that is dated 11/25/1942. The term 'quintant' comes from the fact that the instruments arc covers 1/5th of a circle (=72º). The use of the mirror on the index arm multiplies this by 2 (=144º) and makes it especially useful in celestial navigation by lunar distances. The quintant was the last real development for nautical navigation before the introduction of electronic navigation equipment as Decca and GPS, but in basic shape still shows resemblance with the octant that was invented two centuries earlier. If you have any questions and/or remarks please let me know. |
 Figure 2: The 1941 David White Co. U.S. Navy quintant from the other side. |
 Figure 3: The quintant came in its original box. |
 Figure 4: The calibration certificate in the lid. |
 Figure 5: A close-up of the index arm. |
 Figure 6: All shades are still present. |
 Figure 7: The manufacturer's name and date. |
Celestial Navigation... Coastal Navigation... Distance measurement...
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