Another possible "Ice On Wings" accident | FerrariChat
Buy

Another possible "Ice On Wings" accident

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by hank sound, Mar 23, 2009.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. hank sound

    hank sound F1 Veteran

    Jan 31, 2004
    5,953
    Burbank, CA
    Full Name:
    Hank Garfield
    #1 hank sound, Mar 23, 2009
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2009
    I'm no aeronautical engineer nor am I a pilot (as much as it sure seems like a great way to imitate a bird). I'm posting in unfamiliar territory because I keep reading about and viewing television news reports regarding the concerns of ice on the wings of planes flying in certain areas and seasons of our planet (East Coast, USA). At certain elevations where lowering temperature and rising humidity levels are in action, are these effects on planes landing are more critical than on those taking off?

    But, I digress--------- I read and hear about the system that is turned on when critical weather conditions demand, that causes a leading edge portion of the wing to "undulate" and thereby shed the ice build up.

    In really cold weather, we can heat our shoes and we can heat our gloves. Am I crazy - but, couldn't we heat our wings with "heat veins" (along with the undulation)? Or, to further the disadvantage, would heat veins cause an even worse ice condition?

    I would love to hear what more knowledgeable minds have to say on this.

    With respect to those lost.........

    Hank
     
  2. ylshih

    ylshih Shogun Assassin
    Honorary Owner

    Mar 21, 2004
    20,439
    Northern CA
    Full Name:
    Yin
    #2 ylshih, Mar 23, 2009
  3. jgcferrari

    jgcferrari Formula Junior
    Rossa Subscribed

    Nov 21, 2004
    926
    USA
    Full Name:
    Jose
    #3 jgcferrari, Mar 23, 2009
    I believe most pressurized planes have either an anti-ice or de-ice system, but I don't know what happens maybe some pilots don't know how to operate them properly, for example a friend

    of mine was flying in a turboprop and started to get ice building up on the leading edges of the wings, his pilot decided to break up the ice activating the boots and all the ice that broke

    was directly sent into the engine and they lost that engine.
     
  4. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
    Consultant

    Nov 29, 2003
    8,017
    Shoreline,Washington
    Full Name:
    Robert Parks
    #4 Bob Parks, Mar 23, 2009
    I commend you on admitting your lack of knowledge and posting a suggestion to improve anti-icing. Your suggestions are logical and well put. Smaller, older, and less sophisticated aircraft have de-icer boots that usually work well in normal conditions. Admittedly, sometimes ice builds up aft of the boots and can cause a problem. The larger airplanes like the jets have a lot of potential heat in the gas turbine engines and it is ducted into the leading edges of the wings and the intake lips of the engine nacelles. It is impractical to attempt to heat the entire wing surface so the leading edge is where the highest velocities and lower temperatures are encountered. Jet airliners normally don't spend much time in serious icing conditions because they are in transit through the icing conditions but they have very powerful de-icing systems if they do encounter an extended icing environment, such as heated wings and engine nacelles with heated ducts carrying hot air bled from the gas turbine compressor sections that is about 450 degrees F. Elements that cannot accommodate ducts usually have electrically heated surfaces. Inflated boots are incompatible with high speed jets so the heated surfaces are the only solution. Moving items such as propellers are fed alcohol based solutions to dissolve ice.
    I hope this helps a bit.
    SWITCHES
     

Share This Page