Abstract
The measurement of airspeed is a vital component in the determination of airworthiness. There are many ways in which to measure airspeed, as well as many different definitions. The most widespread method however, is that of a Pitot-static system, which applies Bernoulli’s equation of incompressible flow to determine airspeed using pressure measurements. This chapter will discuss the various definitions of airspeeds, the different types of Pitot-static systems, how the measurements are used in the calculation of airspeed, and the methods commonly in use to calibrate Pitot-static systems.
Airspeed, altitude, or brains; you always need at least two.
Anon.
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Notes
- 1.
The words “pipe” and “hose” often get mixed up. A pipe is rigid, whilst a hose is flexible. Thinking of a drainpipe or a garden hose helps get this right.
- 2.
Or increasingly less polite terms by younger pilots who were brought up on all things electronic.
- 3.
J T Lowry, Performance of Light Aircraft, ISBN 1-56347-33A-5.
- 4.
F L Thompson (Langley Memorial Laboratory, NACA), The measurement of air speed of airplanes, NACA Technical Note No. 616, October 1937.
- 5.
In civil airworthiness standards, probably about paragraph 1325.
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© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
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Gratton, G. (2015). The Pitot-Static System. In: Initial Airworthiness. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-11409-5_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-11409-5_3
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