Fail-safe automatically self-removing pitot tube cover

A pitot tube cover for a pitot tube, the pitot tube operable to determine a speed of an aircraft based on an airstream impinging on the pitot tube, the pitot tube cover comprising:

• a body having a top surface opposite a bottom surface, a forward side opposite an aft side, an elongate cavity, and a slot open on the aft side of the body and extending from the top surface to the elongate cavity, the elongate cavity sized to receive the pitot tube and the slot having a width narrower than a width of the elongate cavity and a diameter of the pitot tube to provide a retaining force which retains the body on the pitot tube after the pitot tube is received by the elongate cavity;
• and
• a sail attached to the forward side of the body, the sail including a first sail surface and a second sail surface,
• wherein the first sail surface is substantially flat in a transverse direction perpendicular to a plane bisecting the slot and is disposed forward of the body at a first angle to a horizontal plane, the first sail surface generating a first force responsive to the airstream based on the speed of the aircraft, a width of the first sail surface extending in a direction parallel with the horizontal plane and perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the elongate cavity;
• wherein the second sail surface is substantially flat in the transverse direction perpendicular to the plane bisecting the slot, the second sail surface extending from the first sail surface distally to the body and disposed at a second angle to the horizontal plane smaller than the first angle, the second sail surface generating a second force responsive to the airstream based on the speed of the aircraft, a width of the second sail surface extending in a direction parallel with the horizontal plane and perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the elongate cavity, and
• wherein the first force and the second force comprise vertical and horizontal components configured to retain the pitot tube cover on the pitot tube until the aircraft reaches a predetermined speed and to overcome the retaining force of the slot to self-remove the pitot tube cover at a speed equal to or higher than the desired speed.