Exactly how hot due Pitot tubes get on real jets.?

Question

I noticed on a 31A that the tube really discolered. It must get hot, I bet it would be uncofortable to touch? jk.

Answer 1

Most Pitot tubes are heated and get VERY hot especially on the ground when there is no air flow.

And yes, You will get a bad burn if you touch it when it is on

Answer 2

Yes they DO get hot...  Hot enough to burn your skin if you were to touch one after it's been powered up for a few minutes.

Answer 3

Mike is VERY wrong. The pitot probes on a commercial aircraft are heated to prevent icing. I'm not sure what the temp is that they are calibrated to, but you are right, the discoloration is caused by the heating elements.

Answer 4

The pitot tube shouldn't get hot at all, dirty maybe, but not hot.  A pitot tube normally extends out and then forward and has holes on the side and in the end.  The side holes yield the static pressure and the one in the end responds to dynamic or ram pressure.  The relation of the two gives airspeed.

Answer 5

with the current tat 13 volts, it will heat up to temperature of

an astonishing  270C.

Answer 6

As a former aircraft mechanic and flight engineer a Post Flight Inspection of the aircraft is required and documented no matter what. My first experience with the pitot tube was that I burned the skin off my palm when I grabbed it. Of course something like that only happens once and then you learn real quick! So, although I can't give you an exact numerical figure trust me it gets quite hot and necessarily so.

Answer 7

well this would be the TAT (total air temprature). When flying at cruising levels (about 36,000 ft), this temperature is round-a-bout minus 30°C, but can change of course a little bit. It is in each case warmer than the outside air temperature (OAT), which lies at about 56°C.

Answer 8

300-400 degrees F is a fairly typical range.

Answer 9

If the Pitot tube cover (on an undisclosed USAF jet) is accidently left on the tube, and Pitot power is turned on, it takes about 3 minutes to get hot enough to catch the cover on fire.

If the pilot forgets to turn it off upon landing, it will be glowing (slightly) red when he returns to the ramp parking area.

It gets VERY HOT, and can melt the skin off your hand.

Answer 10

Dude! Tell me about it...I flew an old lear 25 for a while...we had the rvsm conversion....they get discolored because they do get hot....unknown to me..while i was in the FBO paying for fuel...my F/O turned on the pitot heats...on my normal walk around after fueling....i grazed my two fingers to make sure it was clear...it was..and so were the instant blisters on my fingers....left scars...dont touch them....HOT!

Jonathan S

ATP-LRJET,HS-125