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Pitot Tube Consensus

Good morning Group...

What a glorious day to fly in Phoenix, AZ! I flew my Zenith CH-650 this morning in beautiful, cloud free, unlimited visibility, smooth as glass air for a nice turn around the mountain passes around the valley! But I digress...

I am moving along with my build. Tail feathers complete except for fiber glass on elevators and stabilizer. I am really happy with the work. the pre-punch kits are amazing but still plenty of work to keep the folks who like to buld very happy!

I am starting on the left wing and I am wondering what the consensus might be on using the plans detailed (and materials supplied) pitot tube or if many of you are using something else?

IF so, would you mind sharing some pictures (or a link to a supporting site) and offering your thought process for moving away from the plans on this part?

Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide,
 
If you are going to use a Dynon or Garmin EFIS, you might want to go with their pitot tube. I'm not sure about the Garmin pitot but the Dynon has their AoA port built into the pitot tube.
 
For unheated VFR use, without AOA, I made this one. It attaches with one screw at the top (the LH end in the photo), and a plastic saddle that goes over the streamline body. The saddle is held with two screws. All three screws go into nutplates.

The hole in the side of the streamlined section is tapped for 1/8" NPT for a tube fitting.

Here's the image from that thread.

2hpoioj.jpg


The body is an extrusion from Carlson. They sell extrusions for the ultralight and LSA crowd, I think, and the tube is 3/16" stainless steel. I epoxied the two together.

Dave
RV-3B under construction
 
Here is what I did and why....YMMV

We have an RV9A at the field with the VANS "total performance" pitot and it works fine...

I got used SB wing kit from 08... I didn't know this at the time but I found out newer kits come standard with the stall warning system. Mine didn't.

So I looked online on the Vans Website and found out that they cost $112 I just mention this because I didn't feel I needed an AOA but I definitely wanted one of the two... Since the Stall warning cost $112 I decided to use that money torwards a pitot that has AOA and skip the Stall warning altogether.

Just my train of though... and something to consider. Also I like the looks of the pitot better than the metal tube.
 
Thanks for replies - follow up Question

I am planning on MGL iEFIS, what I have in my current plane. It does everything I would want an EFIS to do and I understand so why teach an old dog new tricks...at least in this case. The Dynon and Garmin screens are certainly very pretty!

The MG EFIS has AOA built in. Does this mean I could avoid installing the Stall Warning device and go with AOA?

ON a similar topic...I am going to install A/P on wings and elevator. Can anyone offer recommendation for location (pics, etc) for where to install an A/P servo?

Seems to me now is the time to think about all of this while the wing is still open?

In my Zenith the wing servo is in the fuselage but some of the pics I have seen on the RV's I believe the servos and other hardware is in the wings.

Thanks again for help and advice....

Steve
 
The Dynon roll servo is in the right wing at the aileron bell crank. Pitch servo is in the fuselage behind the baggage compartment at the pushrod to pushrod crank. I expect other AP arrangements for the 8 would be very similar.
I pulled the wires and put in the servo mount brackets during build and some day may put the servos in and activate the AP. Having to much fun flying it myself right now though.

I have the Dynon heated AOA pitot probe. Never use the visual but love the beeps I get when lifting off a little slow or in the landing flare or when approaching stall - very reassuring that if I ever get there inadvertently there will be an audible warning.
 
I was interested in RV7ForMe's comment about choosing AOA instead of the stall warning system. I have an older Cessna, which uses the stall warning system, so I installed that in my RV-3B for commonality. An example of different builders making rational but different decisions.

It's a single-point AOA, after all....

Dave
RV-3B now rigging the landing gear
 
AP install

...

ON a similar topic...I am going to install A/P on wings and elevator. Can anyone offer recommendation for location (pics, etc) for where to install an A/P servo?

Seems to me now is the time to think about all of this while the wing is still open?

...
For the roll servo, you could install that on a flying RV8 in a few hours with no problem via the bell crank inspection port in the L or R wing. Running the wire would be very easy, don't need to run that until much later.

If you have the pitch servo install kit, you can install this during the fuselage build with very little additional work.

Check the Dynon instructions - they are excellent, and will probably work for other servos.

http://www.dynonavionics.com/autopilot-components-documentation.php
 
I already riveted the elevator bell crank angles in my RV-4 but am now considering replacing them with angles required for the Dynon servo before riveting the fuselage rear top skin on. Does anyone here have the dimensions for those angles? I may be able to figure them out from the installation drawings but drawings with dimensions would be better.

Finn

For the roll servo, you could install that on a flying RV8 in a few hours with no problem via the bell crank inspection port in the L or R wing. Running the wire would be very easy, don't need to run that until much later.

If you have the pitch servo install kit, you can install this during the fuselage build with very little additional work.

Check the Dynon instructions - they are excellent, and will probably work for other servos.

http://www.dynonavionics.com/autopilot-components-documentation.php
 
Mount

Maybe someone mentioned it but you'll need a mount for the tube. Dynon doesn't come with a mast. Some use Gretz others SafeAir or similar.
 
Van's pitot

I took the original Van's pitot off my plane when I replaced it with a heated one.
If you want it, make me an offer.
 
one for Safe Air.

We used the Van's tube tell we wanted a Garmin G3X with a heated Pitot tube. The Safe Air tube turned out to be the best and easiest to install in place of the factory stock one. It is a solid mount using the rivet holes on the rear of the main spar to hold the front edge of the mount.
Hope this helps, Yours, R.E.A. III # 80888
 
Dynon sells a very nice Mast. It will work with the Dynon or Garmin pitot tubes.

Personally, I?m not impressed with the Gretz mast.
 
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