Corrosion on pitot tube

[Italiancowboy]

So my Dynon pitot tube is showing signs of external corrosion. It is supposed to be aluminum with nickel plated finish but mine isn't shinny like you'd think the plating would give it. In fact, it looks almost like a pewter color with white crusty corrosion. Anybody else have this experience ? I guess I can buffer and polish to make it look better but I'm also worried that if the outside looks like this . . . . what does the inside look like ??!!!

 

[swatson999]

Pictures would help...just saying.

 

[Italiancowboy]

 

[airguy]

That's definitely external corrosion, but it looks light and easily buffed out.

Surprisingly, that level of corrosion is not going to affect the tubes operation internally at all. The pitot tube functions by ram air pressure, as long as the immediate throat area is open, the inner tube is (largely) unblocked, and the edge of the rim is clean and unbroken, aerodynamics will still rule and the numbers will still be the same. Corrosion will roughen the surface and that affects pressure drops for a FLOWING fluid - but pitot tubes operate on static ram pressure, not flowing, so actually won't be affected much by internal corrosion as long as the tube itself is not completely blocked.