N200LZ Chapter 13: Nose - Heated Pitot

[TMann]

Phil Camarda posted an item on the CA list. He was playing in his shop and made a pitot tube assembly like the one on James Redmond's site (www.Berkut13.com)

Nice workmanship indeed, but what was really amazing was the fact that he gave it to me for the cost of shipping (and made 5 more to boot.)

For under $70.00 I have a heated pitot tube for my plane! The Cessna heating element ran about $60.00 plus shipping. I don't know if you've priced one of these on Wicks or Spruce but this works out to be a huge deal!

THANK YOU PHIL!

[brendanw]

And how would one get hold of this fellow if they wanted to actually give him e few bucks for his time and effort? It happens that I just emailed James some questions regarding his design. If I can trade a few bucks for time, I'll happily do so!!!

[TMann]

I'm looking at options to make my Heated Pitot tube removeable/retractable. I have talked with other builders who say that they hav.e had many people walk into it or kick it while looking over the plane at various events.

 

I have heard where some folks have made it removeable to prevent damage. I'm looking for options here.

 

I was thinking that I might be able to mount it inside another piece of aluminum tube and have a kind of pull and twist configuration that would lock it in the extented position or allow it to unlock and slide back into the nose for safe storage.

 

Any Ideas as to how I might address this?

 

T Mann

[argoldman]

I'm looking at options to make my Heated Pitot tube removeable/retractable. I have talked with other builders who say that they hav.e had many people walk into it or kick it while looking over the plane at various events.

 

I have heard where some folks have made it removeable to prevent damage. I'm looking for options here.

 

I was thinking that I might be able to mount it inside another piece of aluminum tube and have a kind of pull and twist configuration that would lock it in the extented position or allow it to unlock and slide back into the nose for safe storage.

 

Any Ideas as to how I might address this?

 

T Mann

 

T.

 

You could mount it under the canard as pitot's have been mounted under wings in most certified aircraft and all RVs. You could also mount it on the side of the nose in the fashion of the C310 and many jets. The problem with this mounting, and possibly the mounting that you alluded to in your above paragraph is that there is a weep hole in the bottom of the pitot tube that allows water (melted ice) to escape. If this is not perpendicular(oid) to the ground, water will accumulate in the mechanism defeating its use.

[JTest]

Another option is to build a fiberglass foam core housing to fit over the Pitot. Only glass the outside leave the inside foam. Install the housing when on the ground and paint it Radioactive red/yellow with "REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT" written all over it. Put a couple of Radioactive Decals on it and put a little phone vibrater on the box so it hmmmms. Nobody will get near it.

 

I may use some of the foam for my elevators to make one....

 

You get me a Pitot and I will make you one in trade.

 

 

Jeff

[TMann]

This is the same style pitot as is installed on Berkut 13.

It's a nice setup and is fairly stout compared to the plans tube. It does need to be insulated from the surrounding foam (obviously.)

 

I'm kicking around some Ideas and came up with this as a possibility. It should provide a solid support in flight but allow me to slide it out of harms way when I have my plane on display in the winner's circle for my Lindy award () I can flip the retaining mech and push it back into the nose out of harms way.

 

Anyway, here's one Idea:

[TMann]

You get me a Pitot and I will make you one in trade.

 

I spoke with the guy that makes these. He told me that if people were interested, he would get some more material and make some additional units. He quoted me a price of $75 per unit. The heating element costs around $60-65. So for around $140 you can have a heated pitot ........ or you can buy a heated pitot from a supplier for $1500 .

Anyone who is interested, PM me and I'll pass your contact information on to him.

 

I think I have figured out a way to make the removeable. The objective is simplicity along with reliability.

[Cozy Girrrl]

Thats basically the design we used for our "pitot envy" design with some embellishments.

...Chrissi

[TMann]

Thats basically the design we used for our "pitot envy" design with some embellishments.

...Chrissi

Yeah ........ that's one snarky setup, girrrls!

[JTest]

This is the same style pitot as is installed on Berkut 13.

It's a nice setup and is fairly stout compared to the plans tube. It does need to be insulated from the surrounding foam (obviously.)

 

I'm kicking around some Ideas and came up with this as a possibility. It should provide a solid support in flight but allow me to slide it out of harms way when I have my plane on display in the winner's circle for my Lindy award () I can flip the retaining mech and push it back into the nose out of harms way.

 

Anyway, here's one Idea:

G'day

 

Maybe have the puck actuate the lever. When the nose is up the pitot gets erect.

 

Now that wood cause pitot envy! And scare the sheep in NZ!

 

Jeff

[TMann]

G'day

 

Maybe have the puck actuate the lever. When the nose is up the pitot gets erect.

 

Now that wood cause pitot envy! And scare the sheep in NZ!

 

Jeff

So ..... what am I 'spose to name my plane?

EZ-Woody?

[Cozy Girrrl]

Any Kiwi knows its the wellies that scare the sheep!

[Lifessamsara]

What's this! Yanks making Kiwi/sheep jokes? I thought that only Australians had that right (like Yanks with Canucks) What a worldly bunch we are!

 

Slightly off-topic, but I have heard of an internal pitot arrangement (female as opposed the the standard male design). It was expressed to me that it is not ice prone, therefore, no need for heating and the associated issues, not to mention it getting kicked about. Anyone that can add some details please?

 

Happy New Year from Oz,

 

Bruce.

[JTest]

Slightly off-topic, but I have heard of an internal pitot arrangement (female as opposed the the standard male design). It was expressed to me that it is not ice prone, therefore, no need for heating and the associated issues, not to mention it getting kicked about. Anyone that can add some details please?

 

Happy New Year from Oz,

 

Bruce.

G'day Bruce

 

A female not ice prone, therefore, no need for heating and the associated issues... Anyone that can add some details please?

 

No such thing a female not ice prone. I know of none. Just say the wrong thing and the temp in the house will drop 10 degrees.

 

If it does exist I know I don't have enough money for one....

 

Happy New Year,

 

Jeff

[Cozy Girrrl]

Brrrrr, yes I see what you mean.

...Christine

[JTest]

Brrrrr, yes I see what you mean.

...Christine

G'day

 

Oh dear, was it something I _fill in the blank_? I wasn't talking about you.

 

Jeff:bad:

[Cozy Girrrl]

LOL, no, trying to get this thread back on track

 

-AILERON- (got to say an airplane word now and then to make these silly conversations seem relevant to the moderators

[Lifessamsara]

Uh-hmmmm, sorry to steer back on topic but I think I found what I was looking for with respect to that pitot design (many thanks Joe Person).

 

In case you're interested:

 

http://www.ez.org/pitot.htm

 

It sounds even cheaper than some of the cheap heated options, but not suitable for 'full-on' IFR of course.

 

Now, back to your previous viewing entertainment..........

 

Cheers,

 

Bruce.

[TMann]

Phil has a page out there with his pitot tube on it.

 

http://longezpilot.com/N6PC%20page5.htm

[TMann]

Okay .... here's what I came up with for the removeable pitot.

I have a piece of 7/8th inch tubing for the the pitot to slide into from behind (inside) the nose. The 1/8th inch plate on the rear of the pitot matches up to a partial bulkhead and a 35 degree rotation locks it in place. The slot area lides under a 1/4 bolt head and the other 1/4 inch diameter hole locks it in place via a spring pin.

[TMann]

A few more pics of the removable pitot. I need to sculpt out a small area to clear the retention bolt head but other than that it seems to work.

PitotLock.pdf

[TMann]

The plunger pin:

[Cozy Girrrl]

Well done, you might add a micro switch to indicate that you are not retracted or unlocked before takeoff.

Nice work.

...Chrissi

[Lynn Erickson]

Well done, you might add a micro switch to indicate that you are not retracted or unlocked before takeoff.

Nice work.

...Chrissi

or maybe a video camera connected to a computer that actuates a hammer that takes a swing at the pilot if he forgets to look at the picture to detemine it is not in place for takeoff. did I miss something here? why in hell do you need it to be retractable. mine is mounted in the nose and I use it as a handle to move the plane on the ground. If it is to keep someone from running into it. well if you run into mine you will remember to stay clear of it the next time or you will be going back to the emergency room again.

[TMann]

did I miss something here?

Yes ..... you did.

why in hell do you need it to be retractable.

 

I was talking with Brad Carter last fall at a Quickie Fly-in in Beatrice, NE.

(You can see Brad's Long-EZ in the October/2008 issue of CSA newsletter.)

He was giving me a tour of his plane and as we got to the nose he made the comment that people keep stepping or kicking the pitot whenever he displays his plane. "In retrospect, I would never build with that type of pitot tube setup again." .... or words to that effect.

 

I could see where this might be an issue and decided to address it. I could just see having my plane on display somewhere (possibly weighted so it could stand on the nose gear instead of grazing) and have some little kid run into it and get hurt (see Lynn .... it's not all about you.)

 

Once it's locked in place, it isn't going anywhere yet for that ocassional instance when you wish it wasn't there, it can be pulled back into the fuselage out of harm's way. At roughtly 32-33 inches off the ground, it's a kid hazard.