paulwh
First the pitot static system consists of an altimeter, vertical speed indicator and the airspeed indicator. All are connected to the static port, while only the airspeed indicator is connected to the pitot tube, hence it has two connections.
Second: Stagnation pressure.
If a symmetrically shaped object is placed in a moving airstream, like the leading edge of a wing, the airstream at the very nose of the object would stagnate and the relative flow velocity at this point would be zero. The airstream dynamic pressure will be converted into an increase in static pressure at the stagnation point. Static pressure at the stagnation point is equal to the airstream total pressure --- ambient static pressure plus dynamic pressure. In the surface of the object the airflow will divide and local velocity will increase from zero at stagnation point to some maximum value.
The measurement of free stream dynamic pressure is fundamental to indication of airspeed. Airspeed indicators are simply pressure gauges, which measure dynamic pressure, related to various airspeeds. The flow in a venture and flow over a wing the air keeps moving, but in an airspeed indicator the air is stopped and becomes stagnation pressure plus heat.
From the site below:
“At a stagnation point the fluid velocity is zero and all kinetic energy has been converted into pressure energy. Stagnation pressure is equal to the sum of the free-stream dynamic pressure and free-stream static pressure. [2] Stagnation pressure is sometimes referred to as pitot pressure because it is measured using a pitot tube.”
http://wapedia.mobi/en/Stagnation_pressure
On the top of page 29 of the next site is a cutaway of an airspeed indicator. It consists of a sealed case with a connection to the static port and a bellows connected to the pilot tube. Static ports sense true static pressure of the free airstream. This is a differential pressure indicator with static pressure on the outside of the bellows and dynamic and static pressures on the inside of the bellows. You are left with dynamic pressure q and through gears it moves a needle over a face marked in mph or knots.
http://books.google.ca/books?id=A0b...esult&ct=result&resnum=3#v=onepage&q=&f=false