Air Data Sources - DA42

Any DA42 related topics.

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Karl
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Re: Air Data Sources - DA42

Post by Karl »

Pmurphy wrote: Sat Jan 30, 2021 10:07 pm Many thanks. What I’m really getting at; is that there is a single point of failure on air pressure data when flying a DA42. If, say a large insect gets caught in the dynamic pitot tube, then the effect will impact both the G1000 flight displays AND the standby instruments. Am I correct?
That would be the same risk for at least 90% of GA aircraft. Obviously it is not considered a big risk or the Aviation Authorities of the world would have mandated dual pitot probes before now. Most aircraft only have one ASI.

Knowing approx what power setting is required on a approach with the aircraft configured for landing may give some confidence that you can handle a failure like that should it happen.
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photoSteveZ
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Re: Air Data Sources - DA42

Post by photoSteveZ »

Rich wrote: Sun Jan 31, 2021 12:02 am BTW, in those 55 years I have never had an actual INOP AS indicator.
Happened to me once in 1972, when I was a newly-minted Private Pilot - Glider flying a Schweitzer 1-35 for the first time out of Kutztown, PA. I don't remember what the problem was: it wasn't the pitot cover, which I'd removed during preflight. The early stages of an aero tow are pretty intense and I didn't notice the dead airspeed until after the tow plane had carried me aloft a few hundred feet.

I decided that it would be safer to continue to altitude and figure out how to fly the glider without reference to AS, rather than releasing early and landing immediately. It was a good soaring day and in the event I stayed up for an hour, thermalling up to cloud base and proving to myself that the inoperative AS really was not a problem.

Oh, to be 19 again... :lol:
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Steve
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Re: Air Data Sources - DA42

Post by Steve »

It also happened to me, in 1987 or '88. Flying a couple of nervous ladies out of Gaithersburg, MD in a Piper Arrow. At rotation, airspeed went rapidly to zero. Continued around the pattern and landed, all without mentioning the problem to them. They actually wanted to fly some more, but no maintenance on the field to clear out the bug guts from the pitot, so we went to lunch instead...
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