Can you say, "Popsicle"?

[Greg Bockelman]

This is a picture of the horizontal stabilizer of the 777 that we took to Frankfurt the other day. There was significant icing in the Chicago area Saturday evening. The inbound flight had to do a go around for spacing reasons so they had to go through the icing twice. The leading edges of the wings, except where there was anti icing looked just like that, as well as the side windows, the underside of the wings and pretty much every other exposed leading surface of the airplane. That is as much ice on an airplane as I have ever seen.

 

[tonycondon]

impressive. no anti-ice on the tail?

 

[Greg Bockelman]

impressive. no anti-ice on the tail?

No. In fact, there are only three leading edge devices on each wing that are anti ice protected. That is out of 5 outboard of the engines. I guess Boeing knew what they were doing when they did the flight testing for icing.

 

[wabower]

In your case, I'd probably hope like hell they did.

No. In fact, there are only three leading edge devices on each wing that are anti ice protected. That is out of 5 outboard of the engines. I guess Boeing knew what they were doing when they did the flight testing for icing.

 

[SCCutler]

See, also, earning your keep.

That sure gets my attention. Did they have to chip away ice to open the cabin door?

 

[SkyHog]

This is a picture of the horizontal stabilizer of the 777 that we took to Frankfurt the other day. There was significant icing in the Chicago area Saturday evening. The inbound flight had to do a go around for spacing reasons so they had to go through the icing twice. The leading edges of the wings, except where there was anti icing looked just like that, as well as the side windows, the underside of the wings and pretty much every other exposed leading surface of the airplane. That is as much ice on an airplane as I have ever seen.

Wow!! Did you notice any difference in flight characteristics at all? That's pretty impressive icing.

 

[Greg Bockelman]

See, also, earning your keep.

That sure gets my attention. Did they have to chip away ice to open the cabin door?

No. Ice won't form on the side of anything, typically.

 

[Greg Bockelman]

Wow!! Did you notice any difference in flight characteristics at all? That's pretty impressive icing.

Just to make it clear, the airplane came to us like that. We weren't the ones flying it. And I seriously doubt the crew noticed much of a difference in handling.

 

[TMetzinger]

So what appears to be a metal section on the leading edge is there for rigidity or impact protection or something? I'd always assumed those were hot. That's really cool (no pun intended) and it's elegant that no deice/antiice is needed on the tail.

 

[RotorAndWing]

So what appears to be a metal section on the leading edge is there for rigidity or impact protection or something? I'd always assumed those were hot. That's really cool (no pun intended) and it's elegant that no deice/antiice is needed on the tail.

Most transport jets don't have anti ice (or deice) on the tail surfaces. The B727 had engine bleed air heat for the wings, but no tail deice.

Wings need deice and engine cowls need anti ice.

BTW, the 727 had the #1 comm antenna anti iced from bleed heat. The reason was the antenna was on top of the fuselage and directly up stream from the number 2 engine intake.

 

[mikea]

The ice - freezing rain - coming to the surface was fierce that night. It was like a cracking roaring fire hitting the windows on the house. The warm front from the south overtopped the cold front from the north so the rain dropping through the freezing air was supercooled liquid. Nasty, nasty.

 

[ScottM]

The ice - freezing rain - coming to the surface was fierce that night. It was like a cracking roaring fire hitting the windows the house.

Sure was! My gate to the driveway was frozen solid, into Monday afternoon, from all the ice on the driveway.

 

[Ted]

So, curious. Why do most transport category aircraft not have de-ice on the tail?

Thanks for sharing the picture, Greg.

 

[Greg Bockelman]

So, curious. Why do most transport category aircraft not have de-ice on the tail?

Thanks for sharing the picture, Greg.

Because flight testing has determined that there are no adverse effects with even extreme icing conditions, therefore the expense of plumbing the empanage for heat was unnecessary.

 

[Ted]

Because flight testing has determined that there are no adverse effects with even extreme icing conditions, therefore the expense of plumbing the empanage for heat was unnecessary.

That there's pretty nifty, then.