I'm looking for any information or photographs relating to the icing
experiments carried out with the Concorde during the early 1970s.
The experiments consisted of the Concorde flying behind a water
spraying aircraft (a A&AEE Canberra). Fine particles of water were
sprayed by the Canberra and the amount of ice accretion on the
Conrcorde was measured.
I would be very grateful for any information, even memories , of these
trials.

Mike

Mike Kenner wrote:
> I'm looking for any information or photographs relating to the icing
> experiments carried out with the Concorde during the early 1970s.
> The experiments consisted of the Concorde flying behind a water
> spraying aircraft (a A&AEE Canberra). Fine particles of water were
> sprayed by the Canberra and the amount of ice accretion on the
> Conrcorde was measured.
> I would be very grateful for any information, even memories , of these
> trials.
>
> Mike

Statistically, the area off and parallel to the U.S.
Northwest Coast (abeam Oregon and Washington) has
plenty of moisture during the summer months. The
Concorde came through Bangor, Maine on its way to the
Seattle area to engage in icing tests. It was to fly
up and down off the Northwest coast so pictures could
be taken of the ice accretion.

I was a forecaster in that area form about 7 1/2 years
before moving to Bangor and I knew the possibility of
icing was greatest during this period.

Wouldn't you know it, there was a big High "parked"
just off the coast producing clear skies in the test
area. Rather than waste time waiting for the High to
move, I was told they hired a KC-135 through the
Boeing company to carry water and dispense it through
the refueling boom.

I never heard about the B-57 (Canberra) being used for
the icing tests.


Lou.

Lou Ramsay > wrote in message et>...
> Mike Kenner wrote:
> > I'm looking for any information or photographs relating to the icing
> > experiments carried out with the Concorde during the early 1970s.
> > The experiments consisted of the Concorde flying behind a water
> > spraying aircraft (a A&AEE Canberra). Fine particles of water were
> > sprayed by the Canberra and the amount of ice accretion on the
> > Conrcorde was measured.
> > I would be very grateful for any information, even memories , of these
> > trials.
> >
> > Mike
>
> Statistically, the area off and parallel to the U.S.
> Northwest Coast (abeam Oregon and Washington) has
> plenty of moisture during the summer months. The
> Concorde came through Bangor, Maine on its way to the
> Seattle area to engage in icing tests. It was to fly
> up and down off the Northwest coast so pictures could
> be taken of the ice accretion.
>
> I was a forecaster in that area form about 7 1/2 years
> before moving to Bangor and I knew the possibility of
> icing was greatest during this period.
>
> Wouldn't you know it, there was a big High "parked"
> just off the coast producing clear skies in the test
> area. Rather than waste time waiting for the High to
> move, I was told they hired a KC-135 through the
> Boeing company to carry water and dispense it through
> the refueling boom.
>
> I never heard about the B-57 (Canberra) being used for
> the icing tests.
>
>
> Lou.

Thanks Lou, I had heard that the Concorde had undergone icing trials
in the US but was unsure where this took place.
The information that the Canberra B(I)8 (mod) - WV787 was involved in
the Concorde icing trials came from a recently released A&AEE Boscombe
Down document A&AEE Note No 3114. (Public Record Office ref
DSIR23/40766)
The report mentions briefly that the Canberra was involved in icing
calibration trials sometime before June 1973. It would appear that
these trials took place somewhere over the UK.
The Canberra Icing Tanker Aircraft is now at Newark Air Museum in the
UK. This website has a couple of photographs of the aircraft.

http://www.bywat.co.uk/wv787.html



Mike