Air Data Systems

Boomi Nathan
4 Min Read
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We tested different DIY designs for Air Data Systems components. It’s a work in progress, with differents levels of completion (Send feedback here). Developed units can be considered to be general purpose, often they can operate with standard third party components. We created dedicated native digital project files that are available to the user that is willing to customize his units.

Applications of Air Data Systems

Most common application is related to flight, for example, radio controlled airplane models. A typical aircraft ADS provides critical flight information as airspeed, altitude, outside air temperature, the angle of attack and angle of sideslip. Other common uses comprehend bicycles performance metering, weather stations, flow metering, and HVAC related tasks. You find here a no exhaustive list of applications.

Components of Air Data Systems

The composition of an air data system varies with the required data or application. You find here below a summary table with few applications. We divide the ADS into three different subsystems, probe, pneumatics, and air data computer. The probe is the mechanical device that enters into contact with the air. Probe aerodynamics and thermal transfer characteristics should be carefully studied to attain the desired behavior. With pneumatic subsystem, we indicate all the piping necessary to route air from pressure ports to sensors; such connections affect the dynamic performances of the ADS. The air data computer carry out data reduction. We implemented the ADC algorithms on a full user programmable micro controller. When different sensors are combined on the same probe we can also refer the probe as an air data boom.

 Airspeed MeasurementAir Data SystemWeather Station Flow Metering HVAC Airspeed 
Probe     
Pitot-StaticPresentPresentNot PresentNot PresentPresent
Angle of attack vaneNot PresentPresentNot PresentNot PresentNot Present
Angle of sideslip vaneNot PresentPresentPresentNot PresentNot Present
Outside air temperaturePresentPresentNot PresentNot PresentPresent
Ambient probeNot PresentNot PresentPresentNot PresentNot Present
Inline differential pressure portsNot PresentNot PresentNot PresentPresentNot Present
Static pressure portPresentPresentPresentNot PresentPresent
      
Pneumatics     
Primary static linePresentPresentNot PresentNot PresentPresent
Primary total pressure linePresentPresentNot PresentNot PresentPresent
Upstream/Downstream linesNot PresentNot PresentNot PresentPresentNot Present
      
Air Data Computer Output     
Outside Air TemperatureYesYesYesNoYes
True air speedYesYesNoNoYes
Angle of attackNoYesNoNoNo
Ange of sideslipNoYesYesNoNo
Barometric altitudeYesYesYesNoYes
Wind directionNoYesYesNoNo
Flow rateNoNoNoYesYes
Airspeed at test pointYesYesNoNoYes
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J. BoomiNathan is a writer at SenseCentral who specializes in making tech easy to understand. He covers mobile apps, software, troubleshooting, and step-by-step tutorials designed for real people—not just experts. His articles blend clear explanations with practical tips so readers can solve problems faster and make smarter digital choices. He enjoys breaking down complicated tools into simple, usable steps.

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