What is this thing sticking out in front of wings?
You're correct. That is the pitot tube (head), placed  there so that it is in undisturbed airflow. This location of pitot tube is found in othe aircraft too, like the Messerschmitt  Bf 109 G-2  as shown below.



By Unknown - http://www.militaryimages.net/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/8212., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2278317