Verification that Heated Pitot is working

Nothing wrong with an old-fashioned ammeter. Dead simple, and tells you
everything
you want to know. I have one that was used for prop de-icer amps (not
that I use it for that - I actually use it to test solar panels).

David Johnson

Ok, as Devils Advocate, why do you think you need a heated pitot
in the first place?

Are you Instrument Management Certified?
Will the airplane be instrument certified?
Are you _really_ going to fly a _canard_ in icing conditions?
Without De-Icing systems on the canard (and possibly wings too?)\

Sounds iffy to me...

Richard

My DAR requires a heated pitot and an indicator if I want my airplane
to be able to fly IFR. It is that simple. There is no need to discuss
whether the FARs require this under Part 91.205(c) because my DAR
interprets it to include it and won't change his mind.
Matt

I don't know why you are using a DAR, but I'd find another DAR that knows
what 91.205(c) really says. That interpretation is busslhit. Heated pitot
isn't required for standard airworthiness IFR flight; I have no idea where
this requirement for an experimental comes from.

Sorry I answered in the first place; I thought this was an academic
exercise. Had I know that some ahhsole authority figure with his thumb up
his hiney was making it a requirement, I'd have declined to respond.

Jim



"iflycozy" wrote in message
ups.com...
My DAR requires a heated pitot and an indicator if I want my airplane
to be able to fly IFR. It is that simple. There is no need to discuss
whether the FARs require this under Part 91.205(c) because my DAR
interprets it to include it and won't change his mind.
Matt

"iflycozy" wrote in message
ups.com...
My DAR requires a heated pitot and an indicator if I want my airplane
to be able to fly IFR. It is that simple. There is no need to discuss
whether the FARs require this under Part 91.205(c) because my DAR
interprets it to include it and won't change his mind.
Matt


On our campus one of the mechanics has this neat infrared reader device he
bought from the Snap-On man. You point it at anything, like a warm pitot
tube, or a black Cadillac in the sun, or a cold cylinder, and get a
temperature reading.

Otherwise, fly through known ice and see if it works.

Check the contacts for resistance?

Ok, as Devils Advocate, why do you think you need a heated pitot
in the first place?

Are you Instrument Management Certified?
Will the airplane be instrument certified?
Are you _really_ going to fly a _canard_ in icing conditions?
Without De-Icing systems on the canard (and possibly wings too?)\

Sounds iffy to me...

Richard

Richard Lamb wrote:
Ok, as Devils Advocate, why do you think you need a heated pitot
in the first place?

Are you Instrument Management Certified?
Will the airplane be instrument certified?
Are you _really_ going to fly a _canard_ in icing conditions?
Without De-Icing systems on the canard (and possibly wings too?)\

Sounds iffy to me...

Richard

Maybe he wants to add it instead of installing more important systems
like cup holders.


Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

The easiest way is a glass encased reed switch that turns on a LED in
series with a resistor. Wrap a large enough wire to carry 8 amps
around the reed switch enough times until it will close the contacts
at about 5 amps. Total of 4 parts required: wire, reed sw, LED, and
resistor of about 560 ohms.
PS Do not mount this near the compass.

I think it would be easer and weigh less to check the heater with your
hand as a pre flight item.
John


On 19 Oct 2005 11:20:01 -0700, "iflycozy"
wrote:

Question to you electrical designer gurus:

Here is what I would like to do and Jim Wier suggested that I post this
here. I want an indicator on my Cozy homebuilt airplane to show me
that my heated pitot is actually working when I turn on the switch on
the instrument panel. So, the light will go out (with the switch still
in the on position) if the heated pitot stops working for some reasons
(but not because it tripped the circuit breaker). So, how can I build
such a device or circuit? I would appreciate specific parts or
identification of parts as I am an amateur. This is a 12 volt DC
system and the heating element draws 7 amps. I know I can not use a
LED in series because it would blow the milli-second I turned the unit
on. I know I can't use a light or lamp in parallel because it would
not indicate if the heated pitot was on or off. So that is my dilemma.
Please help.

Reply to:

click this link,
http://www.tpub.com/aviation1.htm
u might find this one useful. i hope that one helps! they got infos
there regarding electrical and aviation and more!. try visiting it!






iflycozy wrote:
Question to you electrical designer gurus:

Here is what I would like to do and Jim Wier suggested that I post this
here. I want an indicator on my Cozy homebuilt airplane to show me
that my heated pitot is actually working when I turn on the switch on
the instrument panel. So, the light will go out (with the switch still
in the on position) if the heated pitot stops working for some reasons
(but not because it tripped the circuit breaker). So, how can I build
such a device or circuit? I would appreciate specific parts or
identification of parts as I am an amateur. This is a 12 volt DC
system and the heating element draws 7 amps. I know I can not use a
LED in series because it would blow the milli-second I turned the unit
on. I know I can't use a light or lamp in parallel because it would
not indicate if the heated pitot was on or off. So that is my dilemma.
Please help.

Reply to:

On 19 Oct 2005 11:20:01 -0700, "iflycozy"
wrote:

Question to you electrical designer gurus:

Here is what I would like to do and Jim Wier suggested that I post this
here. I want an indicator on my Cozy homebuilt airplane to show me
that my heated pitot is actually working when I turn on the switch on
the instrument panel. So, the light will go out (with the switch still
in the on position) if the heated pitot stops working for some reasons
(but not because it tripped the circuit breaker). So, how can I build
such a device or circuit? I would appreciate specific parts or
identification of parts as I am an amateur. This is a 12 volt DC
system and the heating element draws 7 amps. I know I can not use a
LED in series because it would blow the milli-second I turned the unit
on. I know I can't use a light or lamp in parallel because it would
not indicate if the heated pitot was on or off. So that is my dilemma.
Please help.

Find one of those out door thermometers with a remote read out. Some
of the older ones had a meter. The newer ones have a battery powered
digital read out which could probably be adapted to the plane's
electrical system, but you wanted simple.

Just drill s small hole into the pitot tube metal where is it thick,
preferably from the inside of the mount. (stay away from the heaters
and the actual tube) Put a little heat sink compound in the hole,
stick the remote sensor in, clamp it in place and run the wires to the
inside where they hook to the sensor. Neat, easy, simple.

As a side note, you don't need accuracy. Fire up see what it reads.
Go flying and see what it reads. It won't be near as hot on cold day
and even less so in rain, but I doubt you'll be flying the cozy in the
rain. Put a sticker or just a piece of tape above, below, or beside
the read out with what you'd expect to see for normal readings.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

Reply to:

Roger