Extrapolation of Wind Tunnel Ice Shapes in the Evaluation of the Need for Horizontal Tail Ice Protection on the BA609 Tiltrotor

As part of icing certification flight test programs, artificial ice shapes are typically installed onto aircraft fixed leading edges in order to quantify changes to the handling qualities and performance characteristics of the aircraft in icing conditions. Artificial ice shapes allow a test team to evaluate what are generally the worst combinations of flight conditions for different ice protection system configurations.

The goal of this paper is to discuss the details behind the design, development, construction, and installation of artificial ice shapes as they pertained to the evaluation of the need for horizontal stabilizer ice protection on the BA609 Tiltrotor with a focus on the extrapolation methods used to design the shapes.