Finally figured out what the sharks fin is for

[54H60]

I just couldn't figure it out. I am sure plenty here do know but what the heck was that sharks fin on those old WWII aircraft pitot tubes for. And when I did ask several people involved with warbirds, they didn't know. Only thought about it occasionally but wondered for years. Google searches didn't help. But I finally took an IFR groundschool to renew my rating which had lapsed(long story as I had one in another country) and they had a slide with a cutaway of one of those old pitot tubes with interior parts labelled. Then I had the information to google pitot tube riser and got the explanation.

I know, I am rambling on but for those that ever wondered why there is a sharks fin on some of those old pitot tubes....

google it or look at this link....

https://books.google.ca/books?id=bMwIAQ ... er&f=false

Last edited by 54H60 on Fri Mar 27, 2020 9:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[AG pilot]

Very interesting!! Don't you just love old books?!

[Clifford Bossie]

Thank you! I had wondered about that but never found an answer.

[RyanShort1]

That's a very good resource!

[bdk]

Good find! Many aircraft have static ports on the fuselage as well.

I wonder if the shark-fin was only used on the heated ones for IFR capable aircraft that were likely to encounter icing?

[JohnTerrell]

One of the ways in which the A-36 Mustang differed from all other Mustang production was that it had the shark-fin pitot tube on the end of a mast sticking out forward of the wing. Otherwise, all other Mustang production that came before and after it had the under-wing mounted type without the fin.

You can find both styles/types of pitot tubes (fin/no fin) on P-40's, mounted to the same type mast sticking out from the wing.

[Dan Jones]

That's very cool. I always assumed that it was just the occasional "Art Deco" engineering style of the time.

I learned something today. Thank you.



Dan

[lucky52]

Hueys with the roof mounted pitot tube had the shark fin type.