Articles with tag: "flight in icing"

(Note: figures do not appear in the summaries below)

  1. Flight

    Published: Mon 12 February 2024
    Updated: Tue 01 October 2024

    Effects of icing in flight

    Airplanes can fly because engines produce thrust that propels it forward, and wings produce lift to counteract weight.

    A wing is a well-shaped airfoil that can produce lift with minimal drag. If ice accumulates on a wing in flight, that changes the shape of the airfoil, which is then likely to not be as efficient at producing lift. Drag can also increase.

    Effects of ice:

    Effects of structural ice. Adapted from "Aviation Weather For Pilots and Flight Operations Personnel", AC 00-6A (Cancelled) faa.gov
    Public domain image by Donald Cook.

    Note that "Aviation Weather Handbook", FAA-H-8083-28 faa.gov states:

    The actual weight of ice on an airplane is insignificant when compared to the airflow disruption it causes.

    The lift an airfoil can produce is affected by the "Angle of Attack" of the wing with respect to the air motion over it.

    The chord is the longest line from the airfoil trailing edge to the leading edge. Angle of attack is the angle between the chord and the line of flight. The airfoil rotates with the aircraft when the angle of attack is increased.
    Public domain image by Donald Cook.

    The coefficient …

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  2. Instructive Illustrations

    Four cartoon depictions of aircraft in icing. The individual images are described in detail below.

    Summary

    While icing weather is a serious topic for aircraft, several sources have used [debatably] humorous, instructive illustrations of the hazards.

    Discussion

    Aviation Weather For Pilots and Flight Operations Personnel. AC 00-6A (Cancelled) 1

    Chapter 10 Icing. A pilot sits in or on a small cartoon airplane, much of which is encased in a block or ice.

    See also The Greatest Thing That You Have (Probably) Never Read: AC 00-6A (Cancelled)

    "Mechanical De-Icing Systems" 2

    A cartoon drawing of an airplane in flight, with pilots visible in the flight deck windows. There is snow on the ground below. Mechanical arms are coming out from hatches on the airplane, removing ice from the wing leading edge with ice picks. Caption: "Most practical de-icers I ever saw". Artist: Dick Sha.

    See also University of Michigan Airplane Icing Information Course, 1953.

    Air Command Weather Manual (Canada) 3

    Chapter 9 Aircraft Icing. A pilot sitting in or on a small cartoon airplane pushes up against the lid of a box of ice around the airplane. The caption reads: "Aircraft accidents generally occur after a series of events place a pilot in a box from which be [he?] cannot escape. Icing is one of the events that can close the box, making an accident inevitable. Your knowledge of icing and how it affects your aircraft may prevent the last side of the box from closing."

    Icing Hazards - National Weather Service 4

    Adverse Effects to Flight. A cartoon of an airplane with ice on the wings, and a pilot in an open cockpit, with stylized human forces of reduced thrust pushing aft, increased drag pulling aft, decreased lift pushing down, and increased weight pulling down.

    NASA - Introduction to Aircraft Icing 5

    Impact on Aerodynamic Performance. A cartoon of an airplane and a pilot in an open cockpit, with at arrow on their helmet indicating up. There are repair patches on the aiprlane wings and body. Arrows show decreases thrust, decreases lift, increases weight, increases drag.

    Notes

    1. Anon.: Aviation Weather For Pilots and Flight Operations Personnel. AC 00-6A (Cancelled), FAA, issued April, 1975, cancelled 2016. faa.gov ↩

    2. Loughborough, D. L.:"Mechanical De-Icing Systems", (B. F. Goodrich Company), Lecture No. 10, University of Michigan Airplane Icing Information Course, 1953. ↩

    3. Anon., Air Command Weather Manual (Canada), CFACM 2-70, May 22, 2001. ↩

    4. weather.gov ↩

    5. Von Hardenberg, Paul: Introduction to Aircraft Icing and NASA’s Approach to Understanding It. March …

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