Harleen Kaur +91 9930570467 Air Speed Indicator (ASI) The speed at which an aircraft is travelling through air

is essential to the pilot, both for the safe and efficient handling of the aircraft and as a basic input to the navigation calculations. When an aircraft is stationary on the ground it is subjected to normal atmospheric or static pressure, which acts equally on all parts of the aircrafts structure. In flight, the aircraft experiences an additional pressure due to its motion through air, which is known as dynamic pressure, and is dependent upon the forward motion of the aircraft and the density of the air, according to the following formula: Pt= Pd +Ps Pt= total pressure Pd =dynamic pressure = ( )pV2 ( p-density of air V-TAS) Ps = static pressure The ASI displays this dynamic pressure in terms of speed called indicated air speed (IAS). A pitot tube has been specifically designed to sense the total pressure. It is placed on the airframe with its opening facing directly into the airflow, and the airflow comes to rest inside the tube enterance. It is not possible for the tube to eliminate static pressure to capture only the dynamic pressure all by itself and display it on the ASI. There needs to be some means to eliminate the static pressure, and this is done in the instrument casing of the ASI. Construction: The instrument is comprises of a sealed casing connected to the static source and containing a capsule supplied with pitot pressure (total pressure). Hence, the static pressure element of the pitot pressure inside the capsule is balanced by the static pressure surrounding the capsule. As a result, the capsule will only respond to changes in the dynamic pressure element of the pitot pressure. The faster the aircraft flies, the greater will be the resultant dynamic pressure and the capsule will expand. This expansion is transmitted to the pointer that moves along a scale calibrated in knots, by means of gearing and linkages.

Principle of operation of ASI Calibration: Consider the formula, Dynamic pressure = pV2 It is clear from the formula, that the dynamic pressure which is indicated on the ASI as speed is dependent on density as well as True Air Speed (TAS) of the aircraft.

Harleen Kaur +91 9930570467 Density changes with pressure and temperature and therefore will vary with altitude. So, if the air is less dense then the airspeed required to produce the same dynamic pressure will be greater. Also, the instrument is calibrated to read the true airspeed speed (TAS) for the air density of 1225g/m3 which would be produced by the ISA MSL pressure 1013hPa and temp +15.

Note: Why are we dealing with two different airspeeds, IAS and TAS? Indicated airspeed (IAS) of an aircraft is simply the value that an airspeed indicator denotes on its scale. The value is obtained through a pitot-static system as described above. Indicated airspeed is used aerodynamically, and is important to aircraft performance. Speeds related to take-off, stall, lift, turns, etc. are all in terms of IAS. True airspeed (TAS) of an aircraft is a relative measurement. The actual flight speed of an airplane relative to an air mass is termed as true airspeed. True airspeed is used when manufacturers talk about how fast their planes will go; because that is the actual speed you travel in a zero wind condition. TAS is primarily used for navigational purposes. How? TAS is required to find the groundspeed (speed of aircraft over ground) by applying wind velocity. It is used to during flight planning to calculate time to reach destination and fuel requirements. If it werent for groundspeed, TAS would be of no use to us. Airspeed can be quoted in a number of different ways as follow: Indicated airspeed (IAS): airspeed read off the instrument directly. Calibrated airspeed (CAS): IAS corrected for instrument and position errors. These corrections can be found in aircraft operating manual and may be reproduced on a reference card kept in the cockpit. CAS is also called as rectified airspeed (RAS). Equivalent airspeed (EAS): CAS corrected for compressibility error is called EAS. Air is a compressible fluid. At low to medium speeds effect of compressibility is negligible, but above 300kts TAS the air compression in the pitot tube is sufficient to the cause airspeed indicator to overread. This is known as compressibility error. Compressibility error is also noticeable at high altitudes where lower density air is easily compressed. True Airspeed (TAS): EAS (when TAS>300kts) or CAS when corrected for density error is known as TAS. Since the ASI is calibrated to give a correct read-out of TAS at ISA msl density, any change of air density from those conditions will cause the ASI to differ from true airspeed. This error is known as density error. Compressibility and density error corrections can be made using flight computer. TAS = CAS + (1.75% of CAS per 1000ft of Pressure altitude).

ASI presentation: The ASI is marked with coloured arcs and radial lines. The arc indicates operating speed ranges and radial lines indicate limiting speeds. White arc extends from VSO (stalling speed in landing configuration) to VFE (maximum speed with flaps extended), and marks the flap operating speed range. Green arc extends from VS1 (stalling speed in clean configuration) to VNO (maximum normal operation speed), and is the normal operating speed range.

Harleen Kaur +91 9930570467 Yellow arc extends from VNO to VNE (never exceed speed), and denotes the cautionary speed range. Operations within this speed range should not be carried out except in smooth air. Red Radial line marks VNE. Blue radial line, present in multi-engine aircrafts marks single engine best-rate of climb speed (VYSE). VLO: this is the maximum speed at which landing gear may be operated i.e. extended or retracted. VLE: this is the maximum speed at aircraft may be flow with landing gear extended.

Typical ASI display ASI Errors: Blockage error: a blockage due to insects, ice or any other impurity can hamper the ASI reading as follow: Pitot blocked: if the pitot tube gets blocked in level, then ASI does not respond to changes in airspeed. The capsule behaves like an altimeter and reacts to changes in static pressure only. If the aircraft climbs, the ASI indicates an increase in airspeed (over-read) and if descends. It indicates a decrease in airspeed (under-read).

Static blocked: if the static port is blocked, the ASI over-reads at lower altitudes, and under-reads at higher altitudes.

Leaks: A leak in the pitot system causes the ASI to under-read, whilst a leak in the static line causes the ASI to over-read in an unpressurised aircraft (cabin pressure is usually lower than the ambient pressure), and under-read in a pressurised aircraft (high cabin pressure higher than ambient) at all times. Over-reading of ASI is more dangerous, since a stall could occur at higher IAS than specified for the a/c.

Harleen Kaur +91 9930570467 Instrument error: it is the error between the airspeed that the ASI should indicate and that which it does, due to manufacturing tolerances and friction within the instrument. Position error or Pressure error: this is the error caused by the pressure fluctuations at the static source. Same as position error applicable for altimeter. It could occur when aircraft is at unusal attitude or when flaps or landing gear are being deployed. It is also called as manoeuvering error. Density error: ASI indicates TAS correctly only at msl in ISA conditions. Where density is less, the dynamic pressure generated by a given TAS will be less than for the same TAS in level flight at MSL. ASI capsule expansion will be proportionally less and the speed indicated will be less than true air speed. Flight computer can be used to correct for density error. Compressibility error: at true airspeeds above 300kts air brought to rest in the pitot tube is compressed to a pressure greater than acutual dynamic pressure, causing the ASI to over-read. This effect increrase with altitude, as less dense air is more readily compressed. Compressibility error correction can be found using flight computer.