Airspeed Indicator

airspeed indicator, instrument that measures the speed of an aircraft relative to the surrounding air, using the differential between the pressure of still air (static pressure) and that of moving air compressed by the craft’s forward motion (ram pressure); as speed increases, the difference between these pressures increases as well.

Pressures are measured by a Pitot tube, a U-shaped apparatus with two openings, one perpendicular to the flow of air past the aircraft and one facing directly into the flow. Mercury or a similar liquid fills the bend in the tube, forming parallel columns balanced by the air pressure on each side. When static and ram pressure are equal, the columns have the same height. As the ram pressure increases, mercury on that side of the tube is pushed back and the columns become imbalanced. The difference between the two columns can be calibrated to indicate the speed; this value, called the indicated airspeed, may be given in knots, miles per hour, or other units.

Since the airspeed indicator is calibrated at standard temperature and pressure, its readings are inaccurate at different temperatures and altitudes. An (uncorrected) indicated airspeed is still used to estimate an aircraft’s tendency to stall. Instruments that electronically correct for altitudinal differences and temperature give the true airspeed, which is used to calculate the aircraft’s position. In faster aircraft, indicators that measure airspeed relative to the speed of sound, called Machmeters, are used.