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Trailing cones (or trailing wires as they are often incorrectly called or trailing static cones), were first developed and tested in the 1950s and 1960s as a simple means of calibrating the static pressure (altitude reporting) error of an aircraft's
Guidance Material on the Approval of Operators/Aircraft for RVSM OperationsTrailing Cones for RVSM Certification and Flight TestSpaceAge Control - Trailing Cones for RVSM Certification and Flight Test
Trailing Cone Static Source (Bede Design No. 28)
Position Error Calibration of a Pressure Survey Aircraft Using a Trailing Cone
100101 Trailing Cone
Avionics
Trailing cones (or trailing wires as they are often incorrectly called or trailing static cones), were first developed and tested in the 1950s and 1960s as a simple means of calibrating the static pressure (altitude reporting) error of an aircraft's pitot-static system
A pitot-static system is a system of pressure-sensitive instruments that is most often used in aviation to determine an aircraft's airspeed, Mach number, altitude, and altitude trend. A pitot-static system generally consists of a pitot tube, a s ...
. It does this by giving an accurate measurement of the ambient atmospheric pressure (static pressure) well clear of the aircraft's fuselage. The trailing cone system trails at least one fuselage length behind the aircraft (SpaceAge Control) via a high-strength pressure tube. Static pressure is measured forward of the cone by several static ports. The cone stabilizes and aligns the ports relative to the freestream airflow.
The FAA states in Advisory Circular AC 91-85A:
"Where precision flight calibrations are used to quantify or verify altimetry system performance they may be accomplished by any of the following methods. Flight calibrations should only be performed once appropriate ground checks have been completed. Uncertainties in application of the method must be assessed and taken into account in the data package.
Precision static pressure measurement methods
* Precision tracking radar in conjunction with pressure calibration of atmosphere at test altitude. * Trailing cone. * Chase aircraft. * Any other method acceptable to the approving authority.See also
*Reduced vertical separation minima
Reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) is the reduction, from 2,000 feet to 1,000 feet, of the standard vertical separation required between aircraft flying between flight level 290 (29,000 ft) and flight level 410 (41,000 ft). Expr ...
*Static pressure
In fluid mechanics the term static pressure has several uses:
* In the design and operation of aircraft, ''static pressure'' is the air pressure in the aircraft's static pressure system.
* In fluid dynamics, many authors use the term ''static pres ...
References
{{reflistGuidance Material on the Approval of Operators/Aircraft for RVSM Operations
External links
Trailing Cone Static Source (Bede Design No. 28)
Position Error Calibration of a Pressure Survey Aircraft Using a Trailing Cone
100101 Trailing Cone
Avionics