Inventions During the War Era
Link Bubble Sextant on display
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As the war continued, Ed Link was increasingly worried about the future of his workers and his company. Between 1944 and 1946, he filed many patents for new inventions, hoping to diversify the company's products before the war's end to lower the risk of downsizing. He expanded into new aeronautic and aquatic equipment for both military and commerical use, and created a flight training school to encourage the growth of the civilian pilot industry.
The Linkanoe was one of the primary inventions that Link hoped would ease the inevtiable financial strain on the company when the war ended, and simulators, competitive as the industry was becoming, were no longer being produced at wartime levels. The boat was sectioned, meaning it could be put together and taken apart for easier transportation. The Linkanoe was mostly successful, though it would ultimately be displaced by the emergence of lightweight aluminum canoes.
One of Link's bubble sextants is on display in the Edwin A. Link physical exhibit at the Binghamton University Library. You can see a black and white photo of the instrument out of its case below.
Link Bubble Sextant
Celestial Navigation Trainer
Marilyn Link, Ed Link's sister, posing with the last Link Aqua Trainer at the Thousand Islands Museum