stoopid newbie question

The pitot tube is a small L shaped tube (usually) that protrudes from underneath the surface of the wing. It measures total air pressure through a small hole in the front of the tube. There is another tiny opening called a static port, usually positioned on the side of the aircraft, which measures static pressure. The difference between total pressure and static pressure is dynamic pressure, which equates to airspeed. This drives the airspeed instrument in the cockpit. You will often see aircraft have a “pitot heat” switch in the cockpit, which is used when you get in icing conditions, because if the pitot gets iced up then you get an incorrect pressure reading and hence an incorrect indicated airspeed.

A very good explanation. A couple of glosses – on older aircraft (pre 50s?) the pitot was a double tube end – one open, the other closed, the closed being the static. This was rather than having it on the fuselage, a more sophisticated system. Look at the outer leading strut midway up on most pre W.W.II biplanes to see one. It looks like two black finger size tubes pointing forward.

On some DH Moths, you can see a primitive alternative. A flat plate facing the airflow on a sprung wire, held by a quarter circle of metal. This was graduated with mph (or knots) and the airflow pushed the plate back, thus showing the airspeed if the pilot squints at this thing on the outer strut. The principle was known to, and demonstrated by Leonardo da Vinci, a few years earlier. (!) (See pic)

If you want unfortunate G- regos, there was a photo published a few years back of G-SEXY parked next to Tiger Moth G-AIDS (ouch)

Cheers

I flew on a Cessna 310 from Norwich in the mid Eighties owned by a Racehorse owner…registration G-EGEE..!

I rather liked G-WIZZ which if memory serves was on a JetRanger…will INFO it to see!

TT

EDIT – Yep it is!

The pitot tube is a small L shaped tube (usually) that protrudes from underneath the surface of the wing. It measures total air pressure through a small hole in the front of the tube. There is another tiny opening called a static port, usually positioned on the side of the aircraft, which measures static pressure. The difference between total pressure and static pressure is dynamic pressure, which equates to airspeed. This drives the airspeed instrument in the cockpit. You will often see aircraft have a “pitot heat” switch in the cockpit, which is used when you get in icing conditions, because if the pitot gets iced up then you get an incorrect pressure reading and hence an incorrect indicated airspeed.

The best I ever saw was G-DUMP.

I did my MEP on G-LORD :rolleyes:

Moggy

Usually used in conjunction with head, i.e. pitot head. This is simply an external tube which senses air pressure and feeds it to an instrument in the cockpit, or to a data sensor. It’s a system of measuring aircraft speed and displaying it to the pilot.
Regards from
Geoff.

Larry 66- might I be so bold as to ask your age please?

39 in December, I was born in ’66

stoopid newbie question

Larry 66- might I be so bold as to ask your age please?

another question, whats a pitot? I think from what I can glean from google its some kind of speedometer?

I’m sure someone else can explain the military system… eg: T6464,WF145,ZD670 etc….

Anybody know what happens when they reach ZZ999 ? 😮

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If really, really bored, you can also try entering random four-letter words into G-INFO and see whether there is (or has been) an aeroplane with that registration.

The best I ever saw was G-DUMP.

wouldnt a a 1940’s Tiger Moth be a millitar airplane too?
Yet it starts with G-A***

Yes and No, most pre-war built Tiger Moths were impressed in military service and given military serials, while wartime production swelled their number considerably, but post-war they were sold off ten-a-penny.

For example, one i owned was N9503, but in civil use post-war it was (and still is) G-ANFP.

The serial N9503 is not to be confused with current USA civil registrations.

I’m sure someone else can explain the military system… eg: T6464,WF145,ZD670 etc….

. 😀

I will do that!

wouldnt a a 1940’s Tiger Moth be a millitar airplane too?
Yet it starts with G-A***

….I just googled randomly and found a Spitfire witht the letters C[roundel] A D on its side.
Would C be for Canada in this case?

http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/st/~jgaffney/aviation/images/ww2/spitfire.jpg

No, that is a military ‘in service’ marking.

The AD is the code letters for the squadron, and the C is the individual aircraft letter.

The smaller serial is its military number as issued by the Air Ministry when they ‘purchased’ it from the manufacturer.

For example Guy Gibsons ‘Dambusting’ Lancaster was AJ-G and ED932.

Restored warbirds can and do apply for exemption to carry the civil ‘G-‘ markings, thus in laymans terms, at an airshow you will 99% most likely see civil Spitfires alongside the RAF (military) owned (BBMF) examples, and not notice the difference.

While your on Google, just type in GINFO for the CAA’s own website. 😀

“Stoopid newbie question”

That is a military aircraft. Its markings show the squadron etc.
G-*** etc are civilian markings.

K. 😮

Ah, thanks Dave.
I just googled randomly and found a Spitfire witht the letters C[roundel] A D on its side.
Would C be for Canada in this case?

http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/st/~jgaffney/aviation/images/ww2/spitfire.jpg

The ‘G’ prefix are aircraft civil registered with the UK CAA.

‘F’ is France, ‘N’ is USA, etc….etc….

The following four letters on UK registrations are allocated in order, for example a 1940’s Tiger Moth will start G-A*** but a new Boeing 777 will start G-C***.

The exception being if the CAA grants permission for an out of sequence registration that may have more meaning to the owner or aircraft type, such as the owners initials, name or the aircraft…. eg: G-SPIT or G-VULC.

Cheers….

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