Visit http://www.spaceagecontrol.com/AirDataProbes for information on pitot probes, pitot-static probes, air temperature probes, static pressure ports, and angle of attack (AOA) sensors.
Angle of Attack Sensor, Angle of Sideslip Sensor, Alpha Vane, Beta Vane
The pivoted vanes used are basically mass balanced tubes that have fins on their ends that align themselves to the incoming airflow?s direction. As with the sensor itself, the vanes may be placed in a variety of places. A common place to mount them however is on a shaft (at least two boom diameters high) that is attached to a boom. Ideally these vanes would measure directly the angle of attack; however there are many different factors that contribute to slight errors that must be taken into consideration.