Alternative AOA Probe - DIY or RV-12 Leading Edge AOA Port RV-7 or RV-4, RV-6, RV-8

[gmcjetpilot]

I have some options for Pitot AOA probe. GRT Avionics EFIS suggest fabricate this. Any suggestions of your DIY fabrication?



The other option is make pitot per Van's planes, works well, and add AOA to LE of wing like RV-12. Question is how well will it work? Any one try RV12 AOA in RV4/RV6/RV7/RV8 wing. If I was sure this would work this would likely go to #1. It only needs to angle down about 60 Deg from chord line. The DIY above can be modified.


The third option is buy Dynons unheated or heated AOA which is going to be about $640, about $300 less unheated.
Dynon heated and unheated, plus a bracket, aerodynamic shape extruded tube, cool but overkill for what I want, size, weight.

NOTE other threads like https://vansairforce.net/threads/angle-of-attack-indicators.156794/
...

 

[Ironflight]

Another option I have been flying with for over a year (in our RV-3) with excellent results (on a G3X with AoA) is to find a used un-heated Piper Blade pitot - doesn’t really matter which part number. Use the pitot as a pitot, and use the STATIC port as the AoA sense by taping over (or otherwise sealing) the tiny static port on the back and using the drain hole on the bottom (sloped) portion to give you the AoA pressure. I did it as an experiment with no real expectation one way or another, and it just ….works! AoA indications from the Garmin match exactly the AoA indications for the also-installed AFS AoA Pro that the airplane has had for ten years. You can sometimes find the surplus blade pitots for $30 at salvage yards.

I was goign to install the RV-12 pop-rivet port on the RV-3, but when I got the wingtip off to do the work, and realized that the DUCM works landing light enclosures were in the way, using the previously un-used static port on the existing blade pitot became an attractive option. The RV-3 wing is really tiny inside the leading edge! If you’re building from scratch, the RV-12 option should work fine.

 

[lr172]

I used the rivet in the leading edge, like the 12, on my 10 with G3X and it works very well. I have posted a lot of detail in the past and can find it via search.

Larry

 

[planenutz]

Another option I have been flying with for over a year (in our RV-3) with excellent results (on a G3X with AoA) is to find a used un-heated Piper Blade pitot - doesn’t really matter which part number. Use the pitot as a pitot, and use the STATIC port as the AoA sense by taping over (or otherwise sealing) the tiny static port on the back and using the drain hole on the bottom (sloped) portion to give you the AoA pressure. I did it as an experiment with no real expectation one way or another, and it just ….works! AoA indications from the Garmin match exactly the AoA indications for the also-installed AFS AoA Pro that the airplane has had for ten years. You can sometimes find the surplus blade pitots for $30 at salvage yards.

I was goign to install the RV-12 pop-rivet port on the RV-3, but when I got the wingtip off to do the work, and realized that the DUCM works landing light enclosures were in the way, using the previously un-used static port on the existing blade pitot became an attractive option. The RV-3 wing is really tiny inside the leading edge! If you’re building from scratch, the RV-12 option should work fine.

Thanks for this response, Paul. I've been toying with exactly this idea myself lately and "thought" it should work but wasn't quite sure, so this has given me the answers I need to move forward.

When I built the aircraft I ran both pitot and static lines through the wing and connected them to the Piper blade pitot I fitted in the usual location. I also installed the normal pop-rivet Static Ports in the rear fuselage and currently have those ports connected to the GRT. This leaves the static line from the wing unused, but it's plumbed all the way through to the instrument panel so it will be one of those "5 minute jobs" to connect up an AOA system.

I love it when a plan comes together!

 

[Ironflight]

Thanks for this response, Paul. I've been toying with exactly this idea myself lately and "thought" it should work but wasn't quite sure, so this has given me the answers I need to move forward.

When I built the aircraft I ran both pitot and static lines through the wing and connected them to the Piper blade pitot I fitted in the usual location. I also installed the normal pop-rivet Static Ports in the rear fuselage and currently have those ports connected to the GRT. This leaves the static line from the wing unused, but it's plumbed all the way through to the instrument panel so it will be one of those "5 minute jobs" to connect up an AOA system.

I love it when a plan comes together!

Good foresight! Just don’t get so excited that you forget the extra 30 seconds to tape over the actual static port on the back of the blade….