A hydrostatic bearing flow restrictor was developed which accommodates large clearance changes. Essentially a miniature bearing land itself, the land-in-pocket or LIP restrictor has maintained a relatively constant pressure ratio over a four-fold clearance variation encountered in a high speed journal bearing. In addition, the LIP restrictor provides improved stiffness characteristics when compared with conventional fixed orifice and capillary restrictors. Also, the LIP restrictor-bearing system is tolerant of inlet viscosity variations. Dynamic data were obtained from a journal bearing equipped with conventional orifice and LIP restrictors on a high speed homopolar generator system tester which agree well with bearing model predictions.Presented at the 43rd Annual Meeting in Cleveland, Ohio May 9–12, 1988