badflaps

Too bad they're all tuna cans, DAL/PanAm DC-8's had astro domes.

MD11

Funny you mention this...
One evening while standing at the entry door (I was jumpseating home) of a UPS DC8, I had a conversation with a mechanic about the sextant port in the -8. Seems during inspections, the mx department kept finding small dents in the leading edge of the vertical stabilizers. They couldn't figure it out because although birdstrikes were first suspected, the dents were very small. One night, a UPS mech, was jumpseating and the FO showed him a cool trick. While at cruising altitude, the FO opened the little periscope sextant door and placed a penny on his palm. He slowly raised his hand until the penny was magically sucked off his hand. The penny was of course exiting near the top of the fuselage and travelling aft until striking the stabilizer. I guess that FO forgot there was more aircraft structure behind the cockpit. The dent mystery was solved.

If anybody is interested in celestial nav, take a look at ebay and find yourself a Fairchild A-10 sextant. These are WWII era compact bubble sextants. Most come with a lighted bubble and averager. Most will need rebuild but you can find an overhaul manual online. I have 2 of these units; overhauled them and they are quite accurate.

If you wanted to learn this fine art, may I suggest "The Celestial Navigation Mystery Solved" by David Owen Bell. It's available through Landfall Navigation. Although the book is geared for marine navigators, it does a fantastic job of teaching the entire process of shooting the Sun, Moon and Stars. Later if you want to know more about air navigation coupled with history, get "Air Navigation" by P.V.H. Weems. This fellow was amazing!

awacs

One our E-3 NAV's invented a hose to attach to the port, and vacuum the cockpit.

iceman49

The 141 had a vacuum attachment that went in the sextant port. One of the crews had a Pachinko machine break on the flight deck! The decision was made to suck up all of the small steel balls with the vacuum, which than impacted the T tail. The vacuum than was modified with a filter.

NotPart91

Talking about shooting yourselves in the foot

And for all the kids on the Board put your PDA's down and watch what a Pachiko Machine looks like;

https://youtu.be/VttxaufLisw