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Angle of Attack Sensor, Angle of Sideslip Sensor, Alpha Vane, Beta Vane
The first type of sensor mentioned deals with pressure differences. The device used is a simple tube with two holes located at an angle from each other. This device could be made from a pito-static tube that is used to measure static and stagnation pressures, with an additional hole drilled opposite from the existing static hole. The angle of attack is determined by the pressure difference in the two static values obtained. It is found that the shape of the front nose of the tube and the arrangement of the holes in the tube contribute to the magnitude of the angle of attack that is read by the sensor.