Definition
A panel-mounted component of the remote indicating slaved gyro compass system that allows the pilot to monitor and adjust the alignment of the heading indicator with the magnetic flux detector (flux valve). It typically includes a slaving meter showing whether the gyro is properly aligned with magnetic north, a manual slaving switch to select free-gyro or slaved mode, and a compensator that corrects for small residual magnetic errors in the aircraft.
Plain English
A small cockpit unit that lets the pilot check and fine-tune whether the heading indicator is correctly lined up with magnetic north, and switch between automatic alignment and manual control.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument panel diagrams and descriptions of remote indicating compass systems, especially where the compass system is being checked, adjusted, or operated in slaved mode.
Derivation
Slaving comes from the idea of one device being made to follow, or be 'slaved' to, another — here the gyro is slaved to the magnetic flux detector. Compensator simply means a part that corrects or compensates for small errors.
Why Pilots Care
It removes the need for constant manual heading resets and keeps navigation information reliable during instrument flight.
Intuition Check
Do not read “slaving” as a human action or a forceful manual control. Here it means the heading indicator is automatically made to follow the remote magnetic compass signal. Do not read “compensator” as something that makes the system perfect. It only reduces known magnetic error so the heading indication is more accurate.
Example Sentence 1
After a steep turn, the pilot glanced at the slaving control and compensator unit and saw the slaving meter centered, confirming the heading indicator was aligned with magnetic north.
Example Sentence 2
A fault in the slaving control and compensator unit produced a persistent heading error on the instrument panel.