Took my older drone for a spin today and when it landed, I noticed this ice formation on the leading edges of the propellers. I did fly it into the clouds but the temperature was barely below freezing. Is there a real risk of flying like this? I didn't notice any decrease in performance.
Ice on leading edges of propellers?
- Thread starter VibeFixer
- Start date
brrr. Prop icing on drones is very similar to that of an airplane. With enough build-up, performance will be altered
there's no risk of it falling out of the sky though, right?
FLDave
Well-Known Member
Yes, a real risk in sudden loss of performance. Ice can form when the air temperature is slightly above freezing. Manned aircraft pilots are quite familiar with this. Ice on airfoils severely decreases performance and, in the case of manned aircraft, adds weight.
FLDave
Well-Known Member
Likely scenario: Ice builds on propellers for lack of performance and the it happens. A chunk of ice flings off of a propeller blade causing a serious weight imbalance; the vibration causes a plastic blade to fall off and total loss of control. That's how serious ice buildup is.
It indeed is... every winter we have incidents here at the forum with drones that have fallen out of the sky due to prop icing. The ice on the props alter the shape & the prop stops to produce enough thrust... making the motor increase the rpm's in order to compensate until the motor can't spin faster anymore... there it freefalls.
You just don't fly between +5 to -20C ambient temps when the dew point temp is close to the actual ambient temp (you usually see moist in the air then... fog, mist or haze).
Yes icing can bring down a multirotor aircraft. The icing changes the airfoil of the props and makes them less efficient. Where it really gets noticed is in movement of the aircraft from more extreme control inputs (those that produce higher pitch and roll angles). These can create a stall which causes the aircraft to tumble and possibly not be able to recover stabilized flight.
Just stay in the icy conditions. You'll very likely see it fall from the sky, yes.
And don't you have a stay clear of clouds rule in Europe?
I don't know, but where I flew there's usually nobody around so even if it does fall out of the sky, nobody would get harmed
Thanks for the info everyone btw, it's a real bummer this ice stuff though, something always has to ruin the fun
Dumeinao
Well-Known Member
What amazes me about drones is just how the same flight principles that apply to normal aircraft (172's, 777's, AH-64s). I wonder if you could apply de-icer to the props in the same way airlines do or like when you put Rain-X on your car windshield.
I'm not advocating flying Drone IFR LOL. But the idea of applying something to protect against a sudden change in atmospheric conditions is interesting.
I'm not advocating flying Drone IFR LOL. But the idea of applying something to protect against a sudden change in atmospheric conditions is interesting.
rickmurray1989
Well-Known Member
There is significant risk of that occurring.
Deicing fluid removes ice from the plane on the ground.
Once in the air, other measures are taken - boots, electric, redirected exhaust. If a 172 encounters ice, it will fall from the sky. So will passenger airlines (for example, Buffalo ) if the pilot mis-manages deicing equipment. Sometimes parts of the plane that aren't protected will ice up and cause concern - tail stalls are not fun.
In fact, a 172 can be taken down in humid air when it's 70F and the humidity is high. The temperature of air going through the venturi tubes of a carburetor can drop 60 degrees and ice up, shutting down the engine.
Icing is a serious threat.
If you want to get a pilot's attention instantly during a flight, just look out the right window and tell them that you see ice on the wing.
If you want to get a pilot's attention instantly during a flight, just look out the right window and tell them that you see ice on the wing.
Dumeinao
Well-Known Member
Indeed on the 172 venturi. They had a similar problem with the Bellagio fountains in Vegas when they first built the hotel. The nozzles kept freezing. I forgot how they fixed it but I think it was a redesign.
GregS
Well-Known Member
When ice builds up on the props; which is the only thing keeping it up there, it eventually will fall out of the sky. Do not fly in clouds. Clouds are moisture. It is colder up there than where you stand, so ice always forms on your props.
cameracamel
Well-Known Member
360 Guy
Well-Known Member
DARKSeifer
Well-Known Member
There's a risk of falling, that edge is the reason that things fly. Build enough ice on it, and it won't be able to sustain its weight.
You don’t need to have a buildup of ice. The tiniest amount of frost can change the effectiveness of the lift on a prop. Now imagine if one prop sheds that frost how imbalanced your drone would be.
I was involved with a fatal crash of a sailplane due to frost and learned this lesson the hard way.
I was involved with a fatal crash of a sailplane due to frost and learned this lesson the hard way.
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