Air data boom
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/North_American_X-15.jpg/220px-North_American_X-15.jpg)
An air data boom provides air pressure, temperature, and airflow direction data to data acquisition systems for the computation of air, ground, and water vehicle orientation, speed, altitude/depth, and related information. Air data booms can be used as primary sensors or as a "measurement standard" of which primary sensors and instruments are compared to.
Purpose and overview[edit]
An air data boom is used to collect source data during the testing of air vehicles, ground vehicles, and water-borne vessels. The air data boom is mounted on the vehicle in a location that allows for relatively undisturbed air to be measured. To attain such undisturbed air, mounting is usually done on the nose, wing, or upper horizontal stabilizer of the vehicle.
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/100600-style_air_data_boom_diagram.png/220px-100600-style_air_data_boom_diagram.png)
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/100600-style_air_data_boom.jpg/220px-100600-style_air_data_boom.jpg)
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Tri-Star_L-1011_S2_plane.jpg/220px-Tri-Star_L-1011_S2_plane.jpg)
Typical components[edit]
Air data booms may measure one, some, or all of these capabilities:
- angle of attack (AoA, alpha)
- angle of sideslip (AoS, beta)
- static pressure (Ps)
- total pressure (Pt, pitot pressure)
- outside air temperature (OAT)
- total air temperature (TAT)
Specialized air data booms may also contain mission-specific sensors such as humidity sensors, ice detectors, accelerometers, strain gages, and the like.
Synonyms[edit]
An air data boom may be referred to by a variety of names, including:
- flight test boom
- vehicle test boom
- nose boom
- wing boom
- YAPS head (for Yaw-And-Pitch Sensor head)
Manufacturers[edit]
Most air data booms are either procured from niche manufacturers such as SpaceAge Control,[1] Goodrich,[i],[2] or created by vehicle manufacturers, R&D facilities, and test organizations.
See also[edit]
- Index of aviation articles
- Flight test
- Flight test instrumentation
- Angle of attack
- Pitot-static system
- Pitot tube
- Total air temperature
References[edit]
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- ^ SpaceAge Control
- ^ "Model 0092BH or 0092BJ Air Data Flight Test Boom" (PDF). Goodrich. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-03-17.
Notes[edit]
- ^ Since 2012, part of UTC Aerospace Systems