True Airspeed Sensor for V/STOL Aircraft

One factor which has hindered the development of an effective low- speed flight control capability for helicopters and other V/STOL aircraft is the lack of an accurate airspeed sensor which will operate at speeds below 40 knots. One device which does meet this requirement is an advanced electronic true airspeed sensor developed by J-Tec Associates of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Under the USAF Flight Dynamics Laboratory's Advanced Development Program 643A, 'Tactical Airlift Technology,' a J-Tec Associates true airspeed sensor has been evaluated for use by low-speed aircraft, using a Sikorsky CH-3E helicopter as a test bed. The results of the wind-tunnel and flight testing conducted at Wright-Patterson AFB showed that the sensor has excellent characteristics particularly in the low-speed flight regime, where it maintained its accuracy even at high yaw and pitch angles.