airspeed reading too slow on my D180

remington28

New Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2008
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4
My D180 airspeed indicator is reading 12 knots slow at cruise...I have compared it to my GPS several times...I have tested the pitot system...no blockages or leaks...is it possible to adjust the computer to read correctly??? thanks Jim Albee
 

Brantel

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Apr 2, 2007
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463
Jim,

Just went thru this with my new RV7 and it was the static port shape/extension above the skin.....
 

dynonsupport

Dynon Technical Support
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Mar 23, 2005
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13,226
Can't be adjusted, and unless it's leaking internally (disconnect from the back of the unit, hold some airspeed by compressing your finger over the hole and pressing; it should hold IAS and not leak down. Over time, we've found that just about every instrument sent back for "bad IAS" is basically spot-on in calibration. This means that it's sensing IAS correctly based on the pressures generated by the pitot/static sources. It's usually those that aren't perfect. This is a problem for lots of folks though, even LSA manufacturers (this is a point that the FAA has actually raised - finding good pitot/static locations). At the end of the day, though, that exact number doesn't critically matter except for finding your stall and other critical airspeeds.
 

16FW

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May 6, 2009
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43
My D10A has a similar problem. It there some good way to check for leaks in both pitot, and static lines?
 

dynonsupport

Dynon Technical Support
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Mar 23, 2005
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13,226
Same general principle applies: if you apply some pressure at one end (remember our pitots are designed to leak, so you need to do this upstream of it), it should change ias/alt. If it goes back to where it came from while still "sealed", there's a leak somewhere. To test just the unit's leakiness, compress a finger against the pitot or static port to apply pressure.
 

remington28

New Member
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Sep 2, 2008
Messages
4
I decided to use the cabin pressure in my 801 for the static source...seems to have done the job as numbers are almost exactly the same as my GPS...thanks for the support

Jim
 
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