How does icing affect engine and wing performance, and how is it mitigated?

How does icing affect engine and wing performance, and how is it mitigated?

• A. Icing increases weight and reduces lift and thrust; use anti-ice/de-ice as required and depart when safe.
• B. Icing improves battery efficiency.
• C. Icing has no effect on performance.
• D. Icing only affects navigation instruments.

Answer: (A)

Icing changes the aircraft’s performance by adding weight, increasing drag, and altering the wing’s airfoil shape, which makes it harder for the wing to produce lift. The extra ice on the wing and surfaces slows airflow and roughens the leading edges, so you get a higher stall speed and reduced lift for the same airspeed. That same ice can block engine intakes or ducts, degrading airflow to the engine and reducing thrust or power, and can even affect piston engine carburetion. Because of these effects, overall performance—climb, acceleration, and handling—can deteriorate and fuel burn rises. Mitigation comes from using anti-ice and de-ice systems as required. Anti-ice keeps ice from forming on critical surfaces, while de-ice removes ice that has already formed. The idea is to keep surfaces ice-free and depart or continue flight only when it’s safe to do so, after ensuring the aircraft has adequate performance margins in icing conditions.

Icing changes the aircraft’s performance by adding weight, increasing drag, and altering the wing’s airfoil shape, which makes it harder for the wing to produce lift. The extra ice on the wing and surfaces slows airflow and roughens the leading edges, so you get a higher stall speed and reduced lift for the same airspeed. That same ice can block engine intakes or ducts, degrading airflow to the engine and reducing thrust or power, and can even affect piston engine carburetion. Because of these effects, overall performance—climb, acceleration, and handling—can deteriorate and fuel burn rises.

Mitigation comes from using anti-ice and de-ice systems as required. Anti-ice keeps ice from forming on critical surfaces, while de-ice removes ice that has already formed. The idea is to keep surfaces ice-free and depart or continue flight only when it’s safe to do so, after ensuring the aircraft has adequate performance margins in icing conditions.