Pitot Tube Mounts

Pitot tube accuracy is critically dependent on precise flow alignment, as even minor angular deviations can cause significant total pressure errors—particularly in transonic and supersonic regimes. To ensure accuracy, Pitot Tube Mounts are machined with precision-aligned datum interfaces that maintain the correct installation vector under varying mechanical loads.

Material Specification

Stainless Steel 316L (AMS 5524), Aluminum 6061-T6 (AMS 4025), Titanium 6Al-4V (AMS 4928)

Dimensional Tolerances

±0.05mm (Critical Features), ±0.1mm (Standard), Profile: ±0.2mm

Surface Finish

Ra ≤0.4µm (Aerodynamic Surfaces), Ra ≤0.8µm (Mounting Faces)

Wall Thickness

1.0–3.0mm (Minimum), ±0.1mm Uniformity

Mounting Hole Dimensions

Ø4–10mm (H7 Tolerance), Counterbore Depth: ±0.05mm, PCD: ±0.1mm

Product Description

The mount design incorporates reference-constrained geometry, allowing it to retain alignment across a full range of operational conditions. This includes pitch, roll, and yaw disturbances experienced during dynamic flight, ensuring reliable airspeed and pressure measurements throughout the aircraft’s envelope.

Welding Requirements

TIG Welding (AWS D17.1), 100% Penetration, No Porosity (ASME BPVC Sec. IX)

Thread Specifications

UNJF-3B (M6–M12), NPT (1/8”–1/4”), Thread Pitch: ±0.02mm

Pressure Testing Requirements

Hydrostatic Test @ 1.5x Operating Pressure (Min. 100 psi), Helium Leak Test @ 1x Pressure (≤1×10⁻⁶ cc/sec)

Alignment Tolerances

0.05mm Runout (Pitot Bore), 0.1° Angular Misalignment, Parallelism ≤0.02mm

Coating/Plating Requirements

Passivation (SS, per AMS 2700), Anodizing (Al, MIL-A-8625), Electroless Nickel (MIL-C-26074)

Technical Advantages

A frequent source of measurement distortion in air data systems stems from structural vibrations transmitted through mounting hardware. Frigate’s Pitot Tube Mounts utilize vibration isolation principles based on modal decoupling, separating structural resonance bands from the operating frequencies of pressure sensors. The mounts incorporate elastomeric isolators or tuned mass damping inserts where necessary, avoiding amplification of structural harmonics near sensor ports. System-level NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness) analysis guides the choice of mount stiffness and damping ratios, maintaining clean pressure signal acquisition during high-frequency platform maneuvers.

Temperature gradients across airframe skins and sensor hardware can result in significant thermal expansion differentials. These stresses often lead to micro-movements or preload shifts at the sensor interface, which may induce hysteresis in the pressure readings or crack initiation at fastener holes. Pitot Tube Mounts from Frigate are engineered with matched Coefficients of Thermal Expansion (CTE) between mount materials and mating surfaces, reducing interfacial stress. Floating bushing assemblies or flexural couplings are integrated in select configurations to further isolate the sensor hardware from thermal-induced structural distortion.

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Industry Applications

Commercial Aviation Systems

Supports precise airspeed measurement by maintaining pitot axis alignment on fuselage under pressurized, high-vibration, and temperature-cycling flight conditions.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Provides compact, lightweight sensor mounting for drones where aerodynamic symmetry and vibration isolation are critical for stable flight control data.

Defense Aircraft Platforms

Ensures rigid sensor positioning under combat maneuver loads, supporting mission-critical navigation systems in high-dynamic military airframes.

Supersonic Test Vehicles

Maintains angular alignment of pitot probes during rapid acceleration and thermal shock exposure in high-speed aerodynamic research applications.

Flight Data Acquisition Pods

Interfaces pitot sensors to detachable instrumentation pods used for external aerodynamic testing in variable configuration research flights.

Rotary Wing Aircraft

Mitigates resonance-induced signal noise from rotor vibrations while providing stable pitot orientation on oscillating airframe geometries.

Access-Constrained Installation Geometry

Many UAVs, nosecones, and radomes provide extremely limited access for maintenance or sensor alignment. Pitot Tube Mounts are designed with compact profiles and non-orthogonal fastener access paths to support constrained installation. Where direct tooling is not feasible, indexed quick-coupling mechanisms or self-locating guide features enable secure attachment without compromising angular accuracy.

Airframes across different programs vary widely in fuselage curvature, skin stiffness, and mounting access. Standardized mounts often require field modification, introducing tolerance stack-up or structural inconsistency. Frigate provides a modular mount architecture that allows for interchangeable mounting flanges, shimmed interfaces, and variable-offset adapters.

Having Doubts? Our FAQ

Check all our Frequently Asked Question

How does Frigate ensure precise alignment of the Pitot tube with the airstream in high-speed applications?

Frigate designs Pitot Tube Mounts with angular reference geometries machined to aerospace tolerances. These geometries maintain directional fidelity even under vibration or thermal expansion. Kinematic couplings allow repeatable, precision placement of the Pitot tube relative to airflow direction. This ensures accurate dynamic pressure readings in high-speed and compressible flow environments.

What type of mounting interface does Frigate use for modular integration with aerospace test fixtures?

Frigate Pitot Tube Mounts incorporate precision dowel-pin holes and standardized fastener arrays for compatibility with interchangeable instrumentation platforms. This enables quick detachment or replacement during wind tunnel or flight test campaigns. Structural flatness and concentricity are maintained within micrometer-level deviation. The design supports scalable instrumentation layouts across various aerospace configurations.

How does Frigate address thermal distortion in Pitot Tube Mounts used in supersonic testing?

Frigate employs low-CTE alloys and stress-relieved materials to resist dimensional change at elevated temperatures. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is conducted to validate thermal stability under transient heat flux conditions. Precision relief cuts and expansion joints are included to minimize stress concentration. This guarantees signal integrity in environments exceeding Mach 2.

How does Frigate’s Pitot Tube Mount mitigate vibration in rotorcraft applications?

Frigate integrates tuned mass dampers and elastomeric isolation within the mounting assembly. These features reduce resonance coupling from airframe vibration modes. Computational modal analysis is used to optimize damping performance. As a result, the mount sustains measurement accuracy during aggressive flight profiles and autorotation maneuvers.

Can Frigate customize Pitot Tube Mounts for multi-axis pressure probes in hybrid propulsion testbeds?

Yes, Frigate supports bespoke configurations, including multi-axis sensor head stabilization within the mount body. Each mount is machined to support compound angular offsets and internal cabling channels. The design accommodates dynamic orientation changes during thrust vectoring tests. All interfaces are validated through FOD risk analysis and interference mapping.

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