Van's Air Force
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Cover your pitot tube!
- Thread starter pilot2512
- Start date
David Paule
Well Known Member
Had something like that in the midwest in the summer, some time ago.
Now I have one of those small protectors that flip up on take off. Works almost perfectly. The almost part is that it opens on take off and there's a surge of air into the airspeed, and the indicator fluctuates wildly right when it would be nice to have.
Aircraft Spruce carries this one: http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/inpages/ptubeprotector.php?clickkey=37741. Mine is slightly different and lighter.
Dave
Now I have one of those small protectors that flip up on take off. Works almost perfectly. The almost part is that it opens on take off and there's a surge of air into the airspeed, and the indicator fluctuates wildly right when it would be nice to have.
Aircraft Spruce carries this one: http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/inpages/ptubeprotector.php?clickkey=37741. Mine is slightly different and lighter.
Dave
rzbill
Well Known Member
David,
If my thinking hat is on straight
, you might be able to adjust the speed at which it opens to a lower value. Assuming it is currently mounted with the round disc at the top, you could try turning the unit off of vertical. This should change the balance of forces in favor of the disc such that it opens under less dynamic pressure.
Obviously, if it is turned horizontal, the gravitational closing force would be zero so that is too far.
If my thinking hat is on straight
, you might be able to adjust the speed at which it opens to a lower value. Assuming it is currently mounted with the round disc at the top, you could try turning the unit off of vertical. This should change the balance of forces in favor of the disc such that it opens under less dynamic pressure.Obviously, if it is turned horizontal, the gravitational closing force would be zero so that is too far.
David Paule
Well Known Member
Hadn't thought of that - you've probably got a good idea there.
Thanks,
Dave
Thanks,
Dave
Jeff Vaughan
Well Known Member
A Confession
I covered my tube when I landed and then I took off with it on. This is a first for me.
Funny during my roll out I had indicated airspeed as I was lifting off at 56 kts I was looking out the window climbing and quickly looked at the airspeed fuel flow etc and the airspeed was NA. I calmy climbed up to pattern altitude and went around the pattern and landed. I have a Alpha Systems AOA so I had no worries. I made a very good landing which is easy to do in an RV! They do make pilots look good. Shut down removed the cover and took off again after a complete preflight. Interesting how I has airspeed for a portion of the roll out.
I covered my tube when I landed and then I took off with it on. This is a first for me.
Funny during my roll out I had indicated airspeed as I was lifting off at 56 kts I was looking out the window climbing and quickly looked at the airspeed fuel flow etc and the airspeed was NA. I calmy climbed up to pattern altitude and went around the pattern and landed. I have a Alpha Systems AOA so I had no worries. I made a very good landing which is easy to do in an RV! They do make pilots look good. Shut down removed the cover and took off again after a complete preflight. Interesting how I has airspeed for a portion of the roll out.
don.olandese
Well Known Member
had this happen to my 150 once, outside...
but does it happen if the plane is hangared too? or only outside?
but does it happen if the plane is hangared too? or only outside?
brad walton
Well Known Member
screens
I have fine mesh screens in my tank vents. How would screens in the pitot affect the pitot reading? Since there is little to no flow in the pitot system I'm thinking a screen may have no adverse effect. Opinions?
I have fine mesh screens in my tank vents. How would screens in the pitot affect the pitot reading? Since there is little to no flow in the pitot system I'm thinking a screen may have no adverse effect. Opinions?
I think the diameter of the static port hole is too small for the typical mud dauber to use. (It's hard to stuff a 3/16" larvae in a 1/16" hole.) I did find some dried Nuvite compound in one of mine the other day though. The color of the compound was grey and hard to see until the sun shown on it just right.
Strange but true pitot tube incidents
Sometimes things just happen no matter what precautions you take or build on to your airplane.
While working as a lineman during my college years, a Shrike Commander had a seagull impaled on a pitot tube. Not knowing why it wasn't working, the pilot turned on the pitot heat. Guess which lineman had to clean off the "cooked" bird remains.
Years later while flying the A-6E, we impaled a big fat bee with our pitot tube on takeoff. When we realized the needle wasn't coming off the peg, we aborted the t/o. We were dash three in the takeoff, and dash four decided to abort his run too. Hearing that, we left him the arresting gear and hoped we could stop before we had to use the overrun gear. Hitting the brakes hard, we stopped in time, but ended up with a brake fire. Minimal damage, but the landing gear had to be serviced to clean off the chemical fire agent the crash crew used on it.
Sometimes things just happen no matter what precautions you take or build on to your airplane.
While working as a lineman during my college years, a Shrike Commander had a seagull impaled on a pitot tube. Not knowing why it wasn't working, the pilot turned on the pitot heat. Guess which lineman had to clean off the "cooked" bird remains.
Years later while flying the A-6E, we impaled a big fat bee with our pitot tube on takeoff. When we realized the needle wasn't coming off the peg, we aborted the t/o. We were dash three in the takeoff, and dash four decided to abort his run too. Hearing that, we left him the arresting gear and hoped we could stop before we had to use the overrun gear. Hitting the brakes hard, we stopped in time, but ended up with a brake fire. Minimal damage, but the landing gear had to be serviced to clean off the chemical fire agent the crash crew used on it.
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