How to Install Pitot Tube on Model Aircrafts

The Pitot tube provides critical information to the pilot: airspeed.

A Pitot tube is a device that measures velocity. Although it was invented in the 18th Century by Henri Pitot, it has perhaps found its greatest calling as an airspeed measurement device for aircraft. The simple, open-ended tube measures the amount of pressure applied by incoming wind against the fluid inside. This pressure is translated to velocity and, ultimately, airspeed. Aircraft designers mounted them in the wings of piston-driven aircraft so as to avoid the wind generated by the propeller, but they can be found just about anywhere on a modern jet aircraft.

Things You'll Need

• Reference material on the aircraft you are modeling
• Miniature drill bit
• Pin vise or roto-tool for the drill bit
• Fine wire, 22-26 gauge, depending upon the scale of your model
• Cyanoacrylic (CA) glue

Instructions

1. Determine the location for your Pitot tube based on your reference material. Piston driven aircraft usually carried the tube out near a wing tip, while jet aircraft designers tend to mount it either in the nose or on the leading edge of the tail.

2. Drill a small hole in the correct location with the drill bit. Do your best to align the hole so that it points straight forward, parallel with the airplane's fuselage, or body.

3. Cut the wire to the appropriate length, based on your reference material. Add an eighth of an inch in length to accommodate the depth of the mounting hole. The wire represents the Pitot tube.

4. Mount the wire into the hole, making certain that it points straight forward.

5. Secure the Pitot tube in the hole with a tiny touch of CA cement. The CA cement will hold the tube firmly in place and fill any gaps around it, blending it into the location.

Tips & Warnings

• Paint the installed tube the same color as the surface around it but paint the very tip black to simulate the tube's open end.

• To make a tapered tube (as found on some British aircraft from WWII) wrap a piece of cellophane tape around the inboard (closest to the airplane) half of the wire. Apply a tiny drop of CA cement to the outboard tip of the tape (farthest from the aircraft) to provide a smooth transition.

• The tips on cut wire can be very sharp.

• Make certain to use the CA cement in a well ventilated area.

• Avoid skin contact with the CA cement.

References

• Shepherd Paine: How to Build Dioramas, 1980