Optical Ice Sensors for UAVs

Vibrating-reed ice detectors from the 1980s are designed for controlling inflatable rubber boots, but today's UAVs require a more modern approach.

The perverse thing about ice on the tailplane of a general aviation aircraft is that the pilot sits and looks forward, but the tailplane is aft. You can't see it from the cockpit.

One sign there's ice on the tailplane of a general aviation (GA) aircraft in flight is when the controls become “mushy”. That's a tactile clue, but when there's no human being with hands on the controls, it's a compound problem for unmanned aerial vehicles.