A vernier throttle is a throttle often used in aircraft.[citation needed] It uses a cable and a screw mechanism to provide the operator precise control over an engine's operation.[citation needed] The concept is similar in use to vernier calipers which have a primary scale for gross measurements, and a secondary scale for fine measurements. Like other inventions that bear his name, the Vernier throttle is based on the work of mathematician Pierre Vernier.
Vernier throttles are commonly used in aircraft.[citation needed] A similar mechanism is also used in reciprocating (gasoline) aircraft engines to set the mixture to an appropriate value for a given altitude.[citation needed]