🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1jnaclINN9fi@male.EBay.Sun.COM> frankfx@volkswagon.EBay.Sun.COM writes:
>
>Who can tell me where to get a hand held wind speed
>detector. I have seen a few on the slopes, but have
>not been able to find out where they come from.
>

    I've seen ultralights with a simple airspeed indicator mounted
to a wing strut, in the free-stream, but where the pilot can see
it. The construction is a clear plastic vertical column, about six
or eight inches long with a 'pitot' inlet at the bottom, and 'static
port' at the top.

    A 'pith-ball' (or whatever weight is required to float in the
updraft) rides in the vertical section, which is slightly tapered.

    Since they're used for ultralights they're typically calibrated
for fairly low speed (as man-carrying aircraft go), like 0 to 75 mph.
I have no idea how accurate they are at the low end of the scale.

    Anyway, it would seem like one of these would be far cheaper and
far more rugged than one of the ones with the whirling cups on the
shaft. I expect you could just stuff it in your back pocket, between
readings...

    I'll look in one of my 'pilot' catalogs when I get home and
see if they carry 'em and at what price.


    Benton.Holzwarth@tek.com