airspeed indicator anyone?

Just saw a add in rod and custom from classic intruments for WWII style aircraft guages. How about a real airspeed indicator with a pitot tube? Anyone running one of these? Should be pretty easy to fab up. Think I will try it..

 

Yeah Mike Lange from the Cheaters runs one. Tucked it under the framehorn on the front of his 32 ..Bitchin.



Works well especially in the higher digits.

Jerome

 

True Kev but the number is neat!

 

If ya got a head wind or tailwind it would be pretty worthless. I was looking thru a old carcraft mag and saw a aircraft inspired saltflat coupe that had a pitot tube on the outside left and thought that was pretty cool. Noticed 8 day clocks and altimeters and airspeed indicators on ebay are pretty cheap. Be a cheap instument package..

 

Where's the carb heat..............

 

Hmmn, and guys complain about neon lights under rice burners.

 

I think it's funny that Classic Instruments and others are making a big deal about these gauges that "Moal Designed".
Funny because VDO had the Cockpit series of gauges back in the 70's and the looked pretty much the same. We sold a few through our speed shop back then but most people agreed they were for poseurs - Ooh look, I have airplane gauges

 

How about a mechanical float type aircraft fuel gauge?

 

Not the best pics .. ck out the circle in white ( pilot tube )

 

Ummm what are we looking at in the white circles???? Wait are those Sasquach EGGS!

 

pitot tube smart ass.

 

No dick weed ..pilot tube

 

#### Dude thats the fuel gauge from my AIRECOUPE >>>>.

 

Ya think it would work in a model a?

 

Uhhh. or PITOT tube

 

Pitot.

Sideways in 2nd gear will alter the reading as well.

S'ok though, he can double check his MPG on the tachometer.

 

Kevin,

I'll argue that...

On the salt, wheel spin can make a mechanical gauge lie, and head or tail wind can fool you about how fast you are really capable of. I think an air speed indicator, especially when used both ways, would tell you how big a hole you are really punching through the air.

In fact, I think you can see one mounted on the column of a streamliner in that cockpit video someone posted last week.

I have had one on the shelf for months, waiting for my dash to get finished, with an aircraft tach. I have been planning the aviation twist with a few other details for some time, but decided the airspeed indicator would be fine on the street with a little trial and error. I have since come to rely on a gps unit for business travel, so I am sure it will be on the windshield much of the time, but it will just make the trial part easier.

 

Just get a GPS that has a MPH readout if you want accurate and not a mechanical. A lot of the salt flat and land speed racers use them. Especially useful for license qualifying runs where you need to run certain speed ranges. On a street car you can just use your tach and learn what rpms correspond to the speed you are going.

 

um anyone who thinks aircraft gauges are for posers, go look at harley earle. He loved the things and he was no poser. I did see an airspeed indicator that was modified with an air core speedo movement. I think the numbers were repainted to make it accurate. Aircraft stuff has been used in rods as long as there have been rods. Most people put it in because it's different and not everyone has it. Airplane stuff and rods just seem to go together.

 

Don't forget they'll read knots instead of mph normally - about 15% difference.

...although many of the early ones will have both scales.

 

Does it really matter? In 90 % of the cases, where people who put them in their cars it's going to be for decoration. Only 10 % will get any functionality out of them. If you like it, put it in after all, it's your car to do with as you please. If you think it looks stupid, then leave it out. JMO.

Now if I can figure out how to mount a set of retractable pontoons under the 34 along with a propellor shaft so I can use the car for water taxi service I'll be happy. Having fun with old cars.

 

Not necessarily.
They come both ways.

Far as I know the Cessna 150 - high wing trainer - has an airspeed indicator scaled in mph.
Later 150's than the C model (1964 era) I flew may have a knot-meter, but the later 152's have their airspeed indicator scaled in knots.

Not as confusing as it seems, but you do end up memorizing the different V-speeds.

Use 15% for easy figuring.
100 knots = 115 mph.

Now I just gotta figure out where to mount the WW2 era cabin temperature gauge my pal bought for 50 cents and gave to me.

I tell ya, we got killer garage sales out here....

 

It's hard to find a guage that doesn't start at 60 knots anyway. Just thought it would be kinda cool. I know bugs make there way in the pitot tube and nest and that makes the airspeed read like a altimeter sometimes. Learned that the hard way as a kid learning to fly.

 

The "Tom Tom" gps I have is 100% accurate for ground speed, but it doesn't have the "look"!

 

you can make the gyros work easy if you get some old ones, then you have the added coolness of listening to them spin up when you start the car. all you need is the vaccume regulator out of any aircraft with a vaccume system. On an aircraft they have a dedicated pump, but you aren't going to be doing any IMC driving,at least i hope not, if you have a vaccume tank for a power brake booster,tap off of it. I have a regulator if someone has an aircraft set up, it's new old stock,was in some junk but was never used. If anyone wants it they can have it for shipping.

 

Airspeed indicator is coooooooool, if you ask me!