What pressure does the pitot tube measure to contribute to airspeed indication?

What pressure does the pitot tube measure to contribute to airspeed indication?

• A. Stagnation (Total) pressure
• B. Static pressure
• C. Dynamic pressure
• D. Total temperature

Answer: (A)

The pitot tube measures stagnation, or total, pressure—the pressure of air brought to rest as the aircraft moves into the opening. This pressure is then compared with the ambient static pressure from the static port, and their difference is dynamic pressure (dynamic pressure = Pt − Ps). That dynamic pressure, after calibration for air density, is what the airspeed indicator uses to display indicated airspeed. Static pressure and total temperature are handled by other sensors or probes, not by the pitot tube’s pressure reading itself.

The pitot tube measures stagnation, or total, pressure—the pressure of air brought to rest as the aircraft moves into the opening. This pressure is then compared with the ambient static pressure from the static port, and their difference is dynamic pressure (dynamic pressure = Pt − Ps). That dynamic pressure, after calibration for air density, is what the airspeed indicator uses to display indicated airspeed. Static pressure and total temperature are handled by other sensors or probes, not by the pitot tube’s pressure reading itself.