Flexural ultrasonic transducers are capable of high electro-mechanical coupling efficiencies for the generation or detection of ultrasound in fluids. They are the most common type of ultrasonic sensor, commonly used in parking sensors, because the devices are efficient, robust, and inexpensive. The simplest design consists of a piezoelectric disc, bonded to the inner surface of a metal cap, the face of which provides a vibrating membrane for the generation or detection of ultrasonic waves in fluids. Experimental measurements demonstrate that during the excitation of the piezoelectric element by an electrical voltage, there are three characteristic regions, where the frequency of the emitted ultrasonic wave changes during the excitation, steady-state, and the final decay process. A simple mechanical analogue model is capable of describing this behaviour. V C 2017 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license