What the hell?

[hawg2hawk]

Settle a bet. What is that air horn looking thing just in front of the door? Old school instrument vacuum pump?

http://www.fotobyair.com/s108112-4.jpg

 

[avbug]

I wouldn't exactly call it "old school," but yes, it's a suction source.

Those are venturi tubes.

Out of curiosity, what does everybody think it is?

 

[hawg2hawk]

Hey, these days, if it ain't digital or flat screen, it's old school.

 

[Vector4fun]

Chemgoo nozzles...


Actually, you can still get them from Aircraft Spruce and a few other places:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/inpages/venturi.php

 

[urflyingme?!]

Venturi, old school cool way to drive vacuum instruments. It's also a good indicator of an airplane kicking some serious tail!

 

[avbug]

A lot of airplanes still use them.

The big disadvantage to venturi suction is that the aircraft needs to be in flight before it works. It also clogs in snow and ice and mud.

Some might say having a carbon vane vacum pump on one's piston engine, a pump that tends to shatter and shear within a hundred or two hundred hours as often as not, is also "old school."

The venturi tube has no moving parts, rarely if ever needs to be replaced, is light weight, and works very well. So much for "old school."

 

[BankAccount=0$]

.

Some might say having a carbon vane vacum pump on one's piston engine, a pump that tends to shatter and shear within a hundred or two hundred hours as often as not, is also "old school."

The venturi tube has no moving parts, rarely if ever needs to be replaced, is light weight, and works very well. So much for "old school."

I couldn't agree more. I used to fly an "old school" 53' AeroCommander 520, the vacuum pump would come and go, but the venturi drivin stuff on the right side was always chugging right along. Plus it was always fun to tell people that it was a very small jet engine used for heavy takeoff situations some folks just haven't a clue....................

 

[dkelly]

I like to tell them that it's an airhorn, haha.