Hello all

Any tips or tricks of the trade to do this?

Thank you in advance.
cheers

I don't know of anyone installing a pitot tube airspeed indicator, most are using radios with GPS which will give you ground speed readouts which is usually good enough.

All my jets have true pitot tube air speed sensors, most useful in windy conditions. Latest installation on my T-38:




AEHaas

Here's another:

sexy!!!!!

I rather prefer the elegant lines of the Talon.

By the way there already are telemetry air speed sensors in the market. more reliable when flying at low speed than GPS data. For example Futaba SBS-01TAS, although I understand there are also others from Jeti and/or PowerBox.

https://futabausa.com/product/sbs-01tas/

Best Regards,

Anyone know what size tube this uses? I assume any standard airline fitting and line could be used to extend/splice the tube, as I'd love to install one in the scale location on my MiG-15 wing.

All of my jets have airspeed. It is easy install and it makes consistent approaches much easier. You are right that if you want to just get a rough speed for wow factor GPS is fine and being that my airspeed is not callobrated in any way gps may be about as accurate but I don't care for my use. I use the airspeed for approach mostly. I do stall tests then set my approach speed accordingly. Don't care if my actual speed is 30, 40, 50, etc. Just that I am flying the same speed on each approach.

Yep, I know several guys doing the exact same thing. Currently I do use GPS on some of my planes but would love to switch to actual airspeed. Even though GPS is not nearly as accurate for a stable approach, the good part is as long as you're landing upwind the GPS may lead you to come in hot but should never let you get too slow.

I mounted the pitot tube in the fake air data probe in both of my 1/5 F-16s. I've been using it for the last 4 years. Now I use the Jeti DS-24 with Dave's Speed Announcer Lua program to make callouts when I want them. Mostly I use it for approach and landing. It has made my approaches more consistant and safer. Highly recommended.
Gary

My BVM F16 has the pitot tube out front:

Does the pitot tube screw on to hold radome on? If so how did you do it? I did that on my first 1/6 F-16 but used a canopy latch to hold on the radome so the pitot tube did not screw on.

I have a screw on the bottom to hold the radome in place. There is no need to take it off unless servicing the pitot tube.

AEHaas

Try this: shopbvmjets.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8_60&produc ts_id=268&zenid=jav3sfrjq9juc0jtdeosgqull4

I have one on my Ultra Bandit. They are designed for the JetCat speed sensor, but can be modified to fit your specific pitot tube. You can paint to suit.

Roy,
Yes it does. That's the main reason I use it. You can contact Dave (ww2birds here on RCU). He wrote it and has the latest version. He emailed it to me.
Gary

For those flying Jeti and not wanting to use Jeti, a fellow pilot and friend (Wayne...who posts here and over on RCG) shared with me his setup for using the Jeti MSpeed sensor with the built in Vario functionality.
Essentially instead of using the vario tone for altitude, it is configured instead for airspeed.

First you to set a nominal approach speed, +/- a band, say +/- 5mph. This is comfortably above stall speed.
If you are in this band (say your preferred landing speed), then the vario is silent.
If you are below or decreasing below, then the vario tone goes lower in pitch/frequency
If you are above or increasing above, then the vario tone goes higher in pitch/frequency

You can turn this function ON/OFF via simple 2 position switch during flight and only turn it on during landing
The tone to me is easier than listening to or processing a number call out. Just keep speed to maintain (silence) and you're in the groove. If it's increasing, you're too fast, if its decreasing you're too slow