Ask an Explainer
Q:
How does ice on a plane's wings affect lift?
A:
Ice on airplane wings will actually change the shape of the airfoil (the wing's shape) and decrease the lift of an aircraft. This can even cause it to stall, which happens when the drag is higher than the lift at critical angles of attack. If an aircraft stalls, it is hard to control flight. However, airplane wings are equipped with ways to eliminate the ice, such as pneumatic tubes that can push the ice away.
Posted on October 20, 2013 at 11:13 pm
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