Abstract:To achieve the rapid airspeed recognition requirements of loitering munition fuzes, a high-efficiency and accurate airspeed measurement method based on pressure sensors and the Bernoulli equation is proposed. A compact and low-cost pressure measurement device is designed accordingly. Numerical simulations of the aerodynamic characteristics of a fixed-wing loitering munition model are conducted to determine the optimal layout of pressure sensors based on surface pressure distribution and flow field characteristics. To reduce flow field interference and improve measurement stability, a metal square tube is installed around the sensor to form a pressure measurement channel, with pressure compensation applied. Simulation studies on different pressure channel length combinations identify 15 and 20 mm as the optimal configuration. Further simulations under varying speed and angle of attack conditions show that the proposed method maintains a velocity measurement error within 9.43% to 14.07% in the range of 0.1~0.3 Ma and -15° to +15° angle of attack. The method significantly reduces measurement error under low-speed and small-angle conditions. It exhibits strong error suppression capabilities under high-speed, and large-angle conditions, with an average error reduction of 3.21% compared to the configuration without a pressure channel. To further validate the accuracy and reliability of the method, both wind tunnel tests and field flight tests are conducted. The wind tunnel tests cover a wide range of speeds and angles of attack, showing that this method reduces airspeed measurement error by 3.6% compared with the traditional Pitot tube. In the field tests conducted under actual flight conditions of the loitering munition, the measured airspeed is compared with data from the Pitot tube and the flight control system. Results show that the proposed method achieves a mean squared error of 1.429 m/s, which is 2.06 m/s lower than that of the Pitot tube. These results show that the proposed method has strong environmental adaptability and measurement stability, providing an efficient and reliable solution for airspeed measurement in loitering munition fuzes.