Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
Max Q wrote:
The best of all were the embedded wing heaters that protected the entire area of vulnerability but not all airlines wanted to pay for this and either maintenance or flight crews had to inspect for ice before every flight in most weather conditions
In fact unless it was over 90 degrees we always had to do this physical, hands on inspection because the problem wasn’t the temperature on the ground, it was the ice that had formed on the previous flight that you couldn’t guarantee would all melt before the next take off, especially on a quick turn around
If we were in a maintenance base a mechanic would do this inspection otherwise it was up to the pilots and the FO was the lucky one who got to do this, I was in the right seat in those days and I never saw a Captain do it !
Okie wrote:Max Q wrote:
The best of all were the embedded wing heaters that protected the entire area of vulnerability but not all airlines wanted to pay for this and either maintenance or flight crews had to inspect for ice before every flight in most weather conditions
In fact unless it was over 90 degrees we always had to do this physical, hands on inspection because the problem wasn’t the temperature on the ground, it was the ice that had formed on the previous flight that you couldn’t guarantee would all melt before the next take off, especially on a quick turn around
If we were in a maintenance base a mechanic would do this inspection otherwise it was up to the pilots and the FO was the lucky one who got to do this, I was in the right seat in those days and I never saw a Captain do it !
I watched TWA a multitude of times at STL when they used a glorified Shepherd's Pole to check for ice so they would not have to use a ladder for the check.
Okie
Dalmd88 wrote:MD80's had a major problem with wing surface ice. And yes it could cause an engine out if ingested.
The inboard section of the wing could form a layer of ice just sitting at the gate on a warm humid day. The remaining fuel from the inbound fight was super cooled and was all in the inboard end of the wing. The MD80 wing is considerably thinner than say the 737. So any fuel in that section is in close contact with the upper wing surface. Condensation on the top of the wing can easily freeze.
The black stripes were one early solution. Another was piping system in the wing to move the fuel around the wing so the fuel didn't get as cold. The string attached to the top of the wing was an effective inspection method. If the string was frozen, you couldn't move it with the the stick. Then you call the deicing truck.
The best solution was the heater blanket system. I think SAS developed the STC for it. A very large panel was installed on top of the wing in the first ten feet of the wing. the panel had a heating element bonded into the middle of it. I installed many of these at Delta during the HMV visits. It took about four days to install. A couple of days of prep and then 12 quarts of sealant applied to the wing and bottom of the panel. It was fun carrying the panel up on to the wing and putting it in place. It was then vacuum bagged to the wing for 24 hours while the sealant cured.
They had two heating elements, so if one failed it would still work. Once the second failed the blanket needed to be replaced. That sealant is tough stuff. We would use the 10 ton overhead hoist, the same one that is used to install engines, to peal the blanket off.
mrcoffee wrote:I remember once in the early 90's getting deiced on the MD80 redeye to STL. From Phoenix. (And no, it wasn't the middle of winter.)