I thought maybe I left the cover on, but remembered removing it as i did a complete pre-flight. Those were my thought as I rotated out on a pleasure flight today. I thought, of course, Bugs!
No, I dont think so as I circled back around for downwind. I landed with a lil glance at the 396 for a groundspeed check since the winds were close to calm. I landed normally and taxied to the ramp to shut down. I grabbed my Robogrips and removed the petot tube. Banged it out and sure enough, little larva. About six of 'em. Blew through the tube to make sure, remounted and taxied to the active. On take off I watched closely for the IAS to come alive. The tail comes up and airspeed is alive; rotate. What the? Got a reading but is is sluggish and inaccurate. There must be more larvi in the line. So how do I clear the line? Thanks for any help.
Remove the pitot tube again. Check to see if you can see any remaining bugs. If you can remove them with a pick, and are sure that you got all of them then stop there. If not, continue on with the method of using air pressure to remove them.
Disconnect the line at the ASI. (if there is any other equipment in the system disconnect them too). Set your air regulator to a very low pressure, say 10 PSI and apply pressure. Before you do this, place a shop rag over the pitot to catch the offenders.
Good Luck!
__________________
Mark Ohlau
RV-6 N506MM VAF #1410
2017 Donation Made
If you have the simple Van's Special bent piece of stainless tubing pitot tube, I'd disconnect it and soak it in a bucket of water, the flush it out after after a while. If you have a heated pitot tube, that's probably not a good approach.
You may have to blow the line out as well, but I'd try the easiest approach first.
Clogged Pitot Line
Linear Mode
