what is a Maltese cross?

[asiancanucks]

I try to find in all my books but cant find what it is, what is a Maltese cross? and what this thing do? my guess is we dont have
in my area.

AC

[dolly737]

A more historical approach... (http://www2.prestel.co.uk/church/oosj/cross.htm)

[McD]

Here's a definition of a maltese cross:
An irregular dodecahedron cross shaped like a sign but whose points flange out at the end.

The above quote comes from this website: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/MalteseCross.html

http://www.bmikarts.com/shop/images/282.JPG

There can be variations on the design, such as THIS (http://www.albemarle.org/upload/images/Pictures/Departments/Fire_and_Rescue/Pictures/Seals_and_logos/maltese_cross.jpg) or THIS (http://www.royalarmouries.org/webassets/m/maltese%2520cross_696_7.jpg)

If you're looking for an aviation connection, this type of marking is found on modern German military aircraft.
Click HERE (http://perso.wanadoo.fr/aeromil-yf/Tornado%20Allemand%20decolle.jpg) to view an example.

Hope this is what you were after.

[look you]

If you want an aviation connection for a Maltese cross...

It is the colloquial name given to a symbol on the PFD which appears on the ground during the control check to show the position of the "Stick". It is shaped pretty much like the crosses described here and moves in sympathy with the joy stick when carrying out the controll check.

:ok:

[asiancanucks]

i think is the FAF in jepp chart?

The "Maltese Cross" on approach plates is the final approach fix for non-precision approaches only. An ILS should be timed passing the non-precision FAF (Maltese cross). This guarantees awareness if the glideslope fails and you need to continue with a localizer-only approach. The FAF for an ILS is the point you intercept the glideslope at the designated altitude on the chart. The localizer FAF may be inside or outside marker, begin descent at interception.(See Livermore chart) The final approach fix for precision approaches is glide slope interception.

[chiglet]

A "Maltese Cross" is the symbol of the St. Johns Ambulance Service [in the UK at least]. The twelve points represent the "Beatitides" [Blessings] from Jesus
watp,iktch
ps, I think [without Googling] that the modern Luftwaffe symbol is an "EizenKroize" [sp] aka Iron Cross, WW11 was a "BalkanKroize [sp] Straight Cross

[Onan the Clumsy]

ok then...what's a Venetian blind?



or a Swiss Roll

[hobie]

ok then...what's a Venetian blind?

http://www.gurunet.com/content/wp/thumb/e/e3/180px-197292_2587catblindsVertigone.jpg

a cat deterrent maybe? :confused:

:ok:

[rotatrim]

There's a Maltese Cross painted on the runway at the now disused Alconbury airfield in the UK.

[Background Noise]

You don't say where or in what context but in aviation terms you have probably answered your own question. The fixes on approach plates are shown as crosses either outlined or solid ie white or black. They are however oriented diagonally like this 'X' rather than upright '+' as in a typical Maltese Cross.

[adr]

Has the Maltese Cross at Alconbury replaced the big X (photo (http://www.multimap.com/map/photo.cgi?client=public&X=520989&Y=276713&width=500&height=310&gride=&gridn=&srec=0&coordsys=gb&db=freegaz&pc=&zm=0&scale=5000&multimap.x=330&multimap.y=167))?

Wikipedia article on the Maltese Cross is here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maltese_Cross_%28symbol%29)

Maltese Cross versus others:

http://www2.prestel.co.uk/church/oosj/cross04.gif
Picture credit: © Copyright 2004 The Reverend Dr Michael Foster (source) (http://www2.prestel.co.uk/church/oosj/cross.htm)

[rotatrim]

adr

I can't see a Maltese Cross on the runway in your photo link but there are several on what looks like a parallel taxyway to the south of the runway. I could have sworn there was one actually on the runway.

[Volume]

Was this meant to be a technical question ?

You can find a maltese cross in the cargo door locking mechanism of airbusses, where it seperates latching and locking function of the handle.
A maltese cros is a gear wich converts continious rotation of the input shaft to a stepwise rotation of the output shaft. It´s best known use is for motion picture projectors, where the film has to be moved in steps.

German report (with pictures) (http://www.cae.fh-mannheim.de/Projekte/Malteser/malt3.htm)

Here you see a picture of a malteser cross used in a Valve train (http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/POWER/RotaryValveIC/mellors1a.gif)