## Thursday, December 5, 2013

### Air Data and FMS

I missed a bit in my last post about FMS's. (I am shortening everything to FMS,
it is mostly the same thing, a system). Air data, what is that...

Air data is usually known as the pitot static system on smaller aircraft. Getting the pressure information into the aircraft involves a analog to digital (A to D) conversion.

All aircraft have pitot tubes to measure air pressure because of speed. Pitot tubes are closed tubes, and the airspeed indicator, or air data computer only can measure the pressure of the air trying to get into them. Larger aircraft may have multiple pitot tubes on them, for redundancy mostly. The airspeed indication is made by comparing the difference in pressure from the ambient air, and the pressure forced in the pitot tube.

The ambient air pressure is entered to the system through static ports. There are multiple static ports on most aircraft. The static ports also help measure altitude and rate of altitude change (vertical speed indication). Again the static system measures change in pressure, from ground level to altitude.

There is a relativly simple formula (thanks to wikipedia) for incompressible fluids  pt is total pressure, ps is static pressure, p is density. V becomes the fluid velocity, or airspeed for us.

$V = \sqrt{\frac{2 (p_t - p_s)}{\rho}}$ Air is easily compressible, and that makes the formula a little more complicated, since you have to integrate pressure and stagnation values.

Static pressure is a little easier. The air pressure doesn't change at a constant rate as the aircraft flies at a higher altitude, but the curve is relatively constant. Thanks to engineering toolbox we can use:

p = 101325 (1 - 2.25577 10-5 h)5.25588

p is air pressure (millibars) and h is height above a fixed point in meters. To get the whole formula, you need to include temperature, and humidity as well, see the wikipedia entry if absolute MSL needs to be measured.

A small transducer can measure the different pressures, and provide a voltage that the computer can read. Computers are good at math, even complex math, allowing us to have usable information on heads up displays, tapes and other graphical presentations.

The air data computer reads these transducers, and puts the data into a usable format that the FMS can use.

The FMS allows setting marks called bugs on the instruments. If the pilot wants to fly at 250kt indicated airspeed, they may enter a command on the CDU keyboard, it will display on the airspeed indicator. The FMS also allows setting heading bugs, and feeds the flight director when flying on a flight plan.

There are more things in the FMS as well, and as I have time, I'll keep adding to the blog.

Write, and let me know what you think