Ice formation is a common phenomenon with airplanes. As they ascend, airplanes are exposed to cooler air. The air temperature at 35,000 — the cruising altitude for most commercial airliners — is around minus 50 degrees to minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
The cold temperatures to which airplanes are exposed can cause moisture to freeze. If there’s any lingering moisture on the airplane’s body, it will turn to ice. While small amounts of ice typically isn’t a concern, large amounts can affect the airplane in several ways.
Reduced Lift
Ice formation can cause airplanes to produce less lift. This is because ice disrupts airflow over the airplane’s lifting surfaces, such as its wings. Rather than flowing smoothly over the lifting surfaces, air will flow more roughly. As a result, airplanes will produce less lift. According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), ice formation can reduce lift by as much as 25%.
Increased Stall Speed
There’s a correlation between ice formation and stall speed. The more ice an airplane has, the higher its stall speed will be. Stall speed, of course, is the minimum speed at which an airplane must fly to maintain sufficient lift. If an airplane falls below its stall speed, it will stall and, thus, experience a loss of altitude. Ice formation changes the shape of an airplane’s wings and lifting surfaces, resulting in a higher stall speed and an increased risk of stalling.
Decreased Maneuverability
Another problem associated with ice formation is decreased maneuverability. Pilots can still ascend, descend and turn, but maneuvers such as these are more difficult with ice formation. The presence of ice on an airplane’s body will disrupt even basic maneuvers such as these.
Reduced Engine Performance
Ice formation can cause reduced engine performance. Most commercial airliners are powered by turbofan engines. When left unchecked, ice can form on the air inlets and compressor blades. As a result, less air will enter the engine’s combustion chamber. And with less air, the engine’s combustion and performance will suffer.
Interference
A problem associated with ice formation that’s often overlooked is interference. Airplanes have communication and navigation systems, many of which rely on wireless technologies. Ice can interfere and disrupt these systems, leading to communication and navigation errors.
In Conclusion
While ice can cause numerous problems, modern airplanes are equipped with safeguards to deal with ice. De-icing systems, for instance, include heated surfaces and inflatable boots. They can melt ice on critical surfaces like the wings, tail and engines.
