Abstract The Multi-Scale Profiler (MSP), a freely falling dropsonde, has been used over the past 12 years to measure oceanic shear variance. Complete resolution of oceanic shear spectra is achieved by combining the measurements of MSP’s acoustic current meter (ACM), electromagnetic current meter (ECM), and airfoil probes. The ACM detects flow relative to MSP, so the platform motion must be known to determine the water velocity. The vechicl's tilt oscillation is inferred from accelerometer data, and its gross (point mass) horizontal motion is simulated by modeling MSP's response to the relative flow. Forcing on its tail array causes MSP to react as a point mass to fluctuations with scales as small as 2-3 m. The model of Hayes et al. for the TOPS dropsonde was modified so that it reasonably parameterized the large MSP tail force. Relevant dynamics and data processing are discussed, and the point-mass model is presented along with the analytic transfer functions that are used to select parameter values, asse...