Explain how ice formation affects aircraft performance.

Explanation should include the concept that icing can occur in clouds any time the temperature drops below freezing and super-cooled droplets build up on an aircraft and freeze. Super-cooled droplets are still liquid even though the temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit (F) or 0 degrees Celsius (C). Explanation should also include

• the effect of ice and frost on lift, drag, and control surfaces
• carburetor ice
• aircraft systems that counteract ice.

PLT493

Process/Skill Questions:

• What systems exist on an aircraft to counteract ice?
• Which conditions result in the formation of frost?