Every aircraft airspeed indicator on earth is basically
a pressure gauge.
1) Ridiculously simple exercise, hardly more than plug-
and-chug: You are given a pressure gauge calibrated in
SI units of pressure. Make a new scale for it, calibrated
in Kias (knots of indicated airspeed). In particular,
where do you put the mark for 150 Kias? That is, what
is the pressure corresponding to 150 Kias?
Calibrate it so that it gives the right answer at sea
level in the ISA (international standard atmosphere).
Assume the Pitot-static probe is aerodynamically ideal.
This is actually not an entirely accurate assumption
in real life; manufacturers almost always find a way
to "accidentally" locate the probe in such a way that
it reads high in cruising flight and reads low in the
landing configuration. Any engineer who accidentally
did the opposite would get reamed by the marketing
department.
2) Nontrivial conceptual exercise: You are flying along
in an airplane close to sea level. True airspeed is 150
knots. Most light aircraft have a side window that can
be opened. No large forces are required to open or close
the window, since the cabin is vented in such a way that
the pressure inside equals the pressure of the moving air
outside. So, calculate the pressure in the cabin, as
measured by an ordinary barometer. Assume the outside
atmosphere is close to ISA.
This has direct operational consequences: Do your
ears "pop" as the airplane speeds up and slows down
at constant altitude?
This is a serious lesson about the /meaning/ of the
Bernoulli equation. Equation-hunting and plugging and
chugging will get you the wrong answer 100% of the time.
3) Completely nontrivial exercise: The airplane is
cruising along. The altimeter is properly adjusted,
and reads 25000 feet. The OAT (outside air temperature)
gauge reads -4.5 C, which is quite a bit warmer than
standard.
Assume the pressure at sea level is close to standard.
2a) How high are you really? This has direct operational
consequences in terms of obstacle clearance.
2b) How fast are you really going, in Ktas (knots
of true airspeed)? This has direct operational
consequences in terms of arrival time.
I could reduce that to a plug-and-chug exercise by telling
you the pressure and density under the given conditions.
4) Explain why the demo of blowing air across the top
of a curved piece of paper is absolutely *not* a valid
demo of Bernoulli's principle.
5) Explain why the "textbook" explanation of Bernoulli's
principle in terms of conservation of energy is complete
hogwash.
6) Explain why the demo of running water over the backside
of a spoon is absolutely *not* a valid demonstration of
Bernoulli's principle.