Addressing the issues of protecting new-generation aircraft against ground icing

Abstract

Our goal was to assess the impact of climatic conditions in the Far North and the Arctic on the use of special anti-icing fluids and protection of new-generation aircraft against ground icing. This issue is quite important for leading aviation countries operating aircraft under the influence of extreme weather and climatic factors. This fact is proved by the publicly available results of studies on the influence of weather and climatic factors on aircraft anti-icing, conducted by researchers from Canada and the United States. Nevertheless, this area is still insufficiently studied since civil aviation operators, performing strategic and socially significant transportation in the Far North and the Arctic, face a problem of flight safety decrease due to the insufficient efficiency of aircraft ground preparation for departure, especially in terms of fulfillment of the requirements for the protection of aircraft against ground icing. In particular, when anti-icing is organized and performed, the structural and operational characteristics of new-generation aircraft are not fully taken into account, which can decrease flight safety during aircraft operation in the Far North. Therefore, we analyzed the correctness of anti-icing procedures’ implementation, depending on the applicability of anti-icing fluids (AIF). It was established that one of the preventive methods to assess the applicability of modern special anti-icing fluids for new-generation aircraft operating in the Far North and the Arctic is the implementation of the clean aircraft concept, which is based on the use of standard methods for aircraft anti-icing with fluids in accordance with the requirements of SAE AS6285. The findings will make a significant contribution to improving the flight safety of new-generation aircraft operating in the Far North and the Arctic.