AirSpeed indicator

[Mark Mallory]

Clarence Snyder (clsn...@Ibm.net) wrote:
:
: I was thinking about how to use the auto speedo as an airspeed
: indicator.
<snip>
: This would allow use of the entire instrument set from the Soob, or
: whatever donor vehicle you are using for an automotive conversion and
: would only require a turn/bank and altimeter in addition for basic
: instrumentation. Rate of climb, artificial horizon, etc could be
: added, but the basic instruments would all match.

Sounds good. But why stop there? You could use the steering wheel in
place of the yoke/stick; you could use the car windshield (w/wipers) and
side windows instead of all that cheap, lightweight Plexiglass;
in fact, if you really were going to do it right you'd get rid of
that chinsy fabric/aluminum/composite fuselage and replace it
with the SOLID steel chassis and body from the Donor Vehicle.
Just add wings and a prop (and a turn/bank and altimeter, of course),
and you're flying!

[BobB]

Clarence Snyder wrote:
>
>
> I was thinking about how to use the auto speedo as an airspeed
> indicator.

> I may be all wet, but what about a servo system that would spin the
> speedo to register the airspeed indicated by pitot pressure?
> Something like a MAP sensor that would read the pressure and convert
> it to a speed signal to run a stepper or servo-motor to spin the
> speedo.
>

Well, you could put a little propellor from a Northern rubber band
'plane on the driving end of the speedo, and place the whole assembly
in the airstream. Use a GPS to derive TAS given known wind conditions.

Regards,

Rube Goldberg

[John R. Johnson]

On Tue, 5 Aug 1997, Mark Mallory wrote:
<snip>

>
> Sounds good. But why stop there? You could use the steering wheel in
> place of the yoke/stick; you could use the car windshield (w/wipers) and
> side windows instead of all that cheap, lightweight Plexiglass;

<snip>

Of course, my airplane is made of lots of steel and all of the windows
are laminated safety glass from the auto glass store. But it doesn't
really count here because it is a Factory Built Certified Airplane.

John

[Mark Mallory]

John R. Johnson (jo...@siu.edu) wrote:
: Of course, my airplane is made of lots of steel and all of the windows

: are laminated safety glass from the auto glass store. But it doesn't
: really count here because it is a Factory Built Certified Airplane.

: John

Not only that John, you've got (dual) steering wheels!!!

[John R. Johnson]

Right, but they are brass plated steel! The ladder welded on the side
is brass plated too, and it helps you get up to the door. I think
light is a relative thing! :-)

John