Even a small amount of ice buildup can significantly decrease the lift force and increase the drag of an aircraft. And the wings of turboprop planes are far more likely to encounter icing problems than jets are, for two reasons. Turboprops fly at a slower speed, making it easier for ice to accumulate. In addition, turboprops spend a much larger percentage of time in those altitudes where icing is likely to occur. Turboprop planes are equipped with pneumatic deicing boots, “a technology invented in the 1930s which has not changed much since.” The heated wing technology that jets use is much more effective in controlling ice.
This is not rocket science: turboprops should be simply banned from flying in Winter, at least where it's cold. Use them in Texas or somewhere if you must, but not in the Northeast.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
4 comments:
Dr NTSB, the world needs you.
I'm telling ya. I used to have almost complete faith in Federal Agencies such as the SEC or the NTSB, but no more. These guys are not doing their job the way they should, can't just sit there and wait for them to get off their kilters. So OK, then, where do I send my proposal?
Obama
Yeah, right. In other news: An NTSB safety alert in December urged pilots to turn off or limit the use of the autopilot when there's ice, but officials at the FAA have failed to make a firm ruling on the issue. "The FAA is the one that makes the regulations," a frustrated Chealander said. "We can only make recommendations. In this situation the FAA sees things differently than we do." So it looks like the FAA, not the NTSB, are the ones sitting on their keisters, doing zilch to address this problem. At any rate, you won't catch me on one of these turboprops any time soon.
Post a Comment