A-star Airspeed Indicator

[lineworker]

Why is the pitot tube at such an angle ? The airspeed of the astar is read zero until it jumps past 20 most of the time, why not have it straight like the bells?

 

I am told that it is because of the way the aircraft positions itself at max cruise the tube is straight ahead, that the importance of knowing your airspeed for autorotational descent outweighs the importance of pre-translation.

 

Happy flying and wrenching compadres

[skullcap]

They used to be under nose but kept getting busted in snow.

 

If was on nose then would be getting busted, as is just plastic, Bell has more robust area where pitot is attached.

 

The thing works just fine in autorotation imho when a/s is above 40, less than that is useless. At Associated we had 206 indicators in the astar which worked fine but the downwash made the thing read 40 in hover but worked well when on approach.

 

Use the string for low airspeed work, it will tell you wind direction well, have used the string is all sorts of aircraft..just like tying a piece of flagging midway down longline for wind direction.

 

sc

[lineworker]

So if it was pointed straight ahead, the airspeed indicator would peg at 40 in a hover? I asked why the angle exists, I guess as it is a French machine, we should be thankful it doesn't point backwards.

[skullcap]

It will usually go up to 40 now in hover, especially in confined areas.

 

The tube is at right angles to airflow at the location it is installed, if it wasn't then it would be inaccurate at high speed when Vne monitoring is important.

 

As far as backwards, the rotor rotation actually is ideal as when you have an engine failure in cruise and lower the collective the aircraft does not dive but begins a gentle nose high attitude much more comfortable than say a 500D for entering the auto...

 

I was merely trying to explain why the tube was installed at the location it was as the only way it could be mounted in the location the Bells have it is on nose and thus would be broken off more easily since it is friggin plastic. Have seen more people injured with burnt hands and marked up heads by bells than Astars so I don't really think they have any issue here,,,as far as the many other problems they have,,, will let 407D fill in the blanks.

 

sc

[407 Driver]

what can I say? weird spot, weird angle, but it seems to work OK :shock:

[Skidz]

The pitot is at a 5 degree right angle to the machine center line because in cruise, that is the angle the machine flies in. If you ever have the opportunity to fly formation with another A-Star, get right behind the other one and look...