Anti-Ice on Combat Aircraft

The Argus (ASW aircraft slightly bigger than a C-130) was used in
severe icing conditions (low level over the North Atlantic) and
was well equipped with anti-icing and deicing equipment. They had
huge gas fired heaters (600 BTU each) one for each wing and one
for the tail, plus a 300 BTU one for cabin heating. They also had
numerous anti-ice mats for cowlings and other air-scoops plus
electrical prop deicers and 'Nesa windscreens'. I've flown
through some horrendous icing conditions believe me. The
replacement aircraft for the Argus (P-3 Aurora/Orion) has great
wing anti-icers utilizing engine bleed air, very effective
indeed.

-Gord.

Low level severe icing, over the north atlantic in the winter, does not sound
like something for the faint of heart...


Ron
Pilot/Wildland Firefighter

Ron wrote:

The Argus (ASW aircraft slightly bigger than a C-130) was used in
severe icing conditions (low level over the North Atlantic) and
was well equipped with anti-icing and deicing equipment. They had
huge gas fired heaters (600 BTU each) one for each wing and one
for the tail, plus a 300 BTU one for cabin heating. They also had
numerous anti-ice mats for cowlings and other air-scoops plus
electrical prop deicers and 'Nesa windscreens'. I've flown
through some horrendous icing conditions believe me. The
replacement aircraft for the Argus (P-3 Aurora/Orion) has great
wing anti-icers utilizing engine bleed air, very effective
indeed.

-Gord.

Low level severe icing, over the north atlantic in the winter, does not sound
like something for the faint of heart...

Ron
Pilot/Wildland Firefighter


It's interesting when large chunks fly off a prop blade.

Dave

Dave Holford wrote:


It's interesting when large chunks fly off a prop blade.

Dave

Hell yes, wasn't that a hoot, especially when you were near some
young inexperienced guy, you could get quite a reaction outta him
with a horrified facial expression.

-Gord.

"I'm trying to get as old as I can,
and it must be working 'cause I'm
the oldest now that I've ever been"

It's interesting when large chunks fly off a prop blade.

Dave

Hell yes, wasn't that a hoot, especially when you were near some
young inexperienced guy, you could get quite a reaction outta him
with a horrified facial expression.

When I did cloud seeding flights, our Cessna 340s and Piper Cheyennes were
pretty beat up in that part of the fuselage, from ice being flung from the
props.

We were looking for super cooler water droplets, which of course were going to
freeze to the aircraft, since our target zone for temps was -5 to -10C.

However that was over land, around 20,000 ft, and not far from airports.

Doing it over the north Atlantic at night at low level in severe icing still
sounds like insanity


Ron
Pilot/Wildland Firefighter

Gord Beaman wrote:

It's interesting when large chunks fly off a prop blade.

Hell yes, wasn't that a hoot, especially when you were near some
young inexperienced guy, you could get quite a reaction outta him
with a horrified facial expression.


The first time I ever heard that I was flying at 10,000 feet against a brutal 60
knot headwind trying to make my way to Cincinnati with a load of auto parts in
the middle of the night. Mountains below; no oxygen above. I hadn't slept in
24 hours. Naturally I was by myself. No autopilot.

Frequent worried looks out at the wing with my flashlight.... popping the boots
from time to time.... occasional squirts of alcohol on the windshield... BOOM!
The fuselage got machine gunned as the props deiced.

The size of my sphincter was in inverse proportion to the magnitude of the BOOM.
A lovely evening.

There's more to the story: I fell asleep on the way back to Charlotte at about
0430 flying with a partial panel (AI had failed shortly after takeoff) while
running on the aux tanks. I was woken rather rudely by the left engine
quitting, and then while I was fumbling with the boost pumps and changing tanks,
the right engine quit as well. I remember the feeling of satisfaction I had
noting how closely I had leaned the two engines that they would run dry within
30 seconds or so of one another. I promised God if he would let me live, I
would never fall asleep again while I was flying.

I lied. God got me for it, too. One of the damned brakes failed on landing. I
missed my turnoff and an USAir jet had to go around. I bet he liked that.


--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN


http://www.mortimerschnerd.com

362436 (Ron) wrote:

The Argus (ASW aircraft slightly bigger than a C-130) was used in
severe icing conditions (low level over the North Atlantic) and
was well equipped with anti-icing and deicing equipment. They had
huge gas fired heaters (600 BTU each) one for each wing and one
for the tail, plus a 300 BTU one for cabin heating. They also had
numerous anti-ice mats for cowlings and other air-scoops plus
electrical prop deicers and 'Nesa windscreens'. I've flown
through some horrendous icing conditions believe me. The
replacement aircraft for the Argus (P-3 Aurora/Orion) has great
wing anti-icers utilizing engine bleed air, very effective
indeed.

-Gord.

Low level severe icing, over the north atlantic in the winter, does not sound
like something for the faint of heart...


Ron
Pilot/Wildland Firefighter

....but we were young and foolish then (or perhaps faint of
intelligence?) and that's what gave rise to my sig ...

-Gord.

"I'm trying to get as old as I can,
and it must be working 'cause I'm
the oldest now that I've ever been"