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I just read an article
in R&D (Research and Development) Magazine's newsletter, announcing new
coatings which could make an enormous difference in aviation. The study looked into nano-particle sizes vs.
icing when supercooled water hit a surface.
Testing included an aluminum plate with the coating on one face (and
hanging on a string to permit it to turn freely), and a TV satellite dish with
half of its face coated, both left outdoors during a freezing rainstorm. The coated portions are ice-free, while the
untreated ones are covered – a spectacular difference.
Click here for the short version. The article itself was published yesterday (Tuesday
November 3), and is already available on line. It appears that leading edges could be
painted with this coating, and a huge safety improvement would result. This is far from a commercial product, but
the results are so spectacular that I expect to see intensive development.
Editor's Note: CR4
would like to thank Ron Darner for
sharing this story. A longtime CR4er, Ron is also the newsletter editor for
Chapter 320 (Watertown,
Wisconsin) of the Experimental
Aircraft Association (EAA). If you'd like to subscribe to Ron's newsletter, click here to send him a private message on CR4.
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Users who posted comments:
Jim_Wright (1), masu (1), Ron (1)