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While
we are not going to get into the whole climate change thing, we can tell
you that aircraft icing is a global phenomenon. And Europe certainly has
its share of icing events. That’s one reason that CAV Aerospace Inc. is
exhibiting at AviationExpo Europe on Germany’s Bitburg Airport, May 27-29.
Situated centrally in western Europe, Bitburg’s location close to the
borders of France, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg makes it an ideal
venue for the fourth AviationExpo Europe’s Festival of Aviation. Some
73,000 pilots who fly 14,000 general aviation aircraft are within a two and
a half hour drive from the German airfield.
CAV’s reason for exhibiting at the European show is to let the world know
that proven aircraft ice protection is available.
TKS for G36, Kodiak
and Caravan FIKI Ops
CAV President Kevin Hawley says, “We want to let aviators in this part of
the world know that CAV’s TKS FIKI ice protection system was recently
approved for the Bonanza G36, Quest Kodiak and Cessna Caravan. In addition,
our operation in Salina, Kan., recently received ISO approval.”
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CAV Aerospace Inc. President Kevin Hawley and Sales
Manager Jeff Holden will be at AviationExpo Europe in Booth 4 with an ice
protection display.
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“No other ice protection system, including boots or
electrical heating systems, can provide the same level of protection as
TKS,” said Hawley. “TKS gives complete airframe protection for the wings,
tail surfaces, propeller and windshield.”
Easy to Use
Pilots can just turn the System “ON” when icing is encountered and “OFF”
when leaving icing conditions. In the Bonanza G36, for instance, a full
tank of ice protection fluid provides up to 2.5 hours of continuous ice
protection. As the system is used, it flushes out any accumulation of
debris on the panels. Glycol, the main ingredient in the ice protection
fluid, has cleaning properties and will not harm the paint finish of the
aircraft.
There is virtually no loss in aircraft performance as a result of installing
the TKS system. The G36’s TKS system weighs only 51 lbs. without fluid
(lighter than a boot system) and 115.4 lbs. with a full tank of fluid.
NASA Proven
NASA has documented the effectiveness of the TKS ice protection concept
through extensive testing in the icing research tunnel at the Lewis
Research Center. Hawker Beechcraft’s Hawker series of midsize business jets
has used TKS ice protection as standard equipment for decades.
The Bonanza G36 TKS flight into known icing system offers pilots more time
to make crucial decisions when encountering icing conditions. Even with a
flight into known icing TKS system, one should always take immediate steps
to exit icing conditions if encountered.
How It Works
Laser-drilled titanium panels are installed on the leading edges of the
wings and horizontal and vertical stabilizers. A slinger ring is installed
on the propeller and a spray bar is positioned in front of the windshield
for protection. The glycol-based fluid is pumped through the panels at a
low rate. The fluid flows over the protected surfaces and keeps the
aircraft virtually ice-free.
The fluid is pumped from a tank by individually selectable metering pumps,
through a microfilter to proportioning units. The proportioning units
contain calibrated capillary tubes, which divide the flow to the individual
needs of the porous panels and the slinger ring. The windshield is also
protected by two on-demand pumps. Either pump will supply fluid to the
spray bar for windshield ice protection.
A significant advantage to the pilot is the simple operation of the system.
Only one choice of operation exists for the pilot when using the system:
NORMAL or MAXIMUM mode. Using the NORMAL mode in typical icing conditions,
a protective film of glycol prevents the formation of ice. In heavier icing
conditions or cases of accumulated ice, the MAXIMUM mode increases the
system flow rate to shed ice. A significant feature of both modes is the
elimination of runback ice.
About CAV Aerospace
CAV delivers TKS™ ice protection systems to leading aircraft manufacturers
and provides retrofit installations to after-market aircraft customers. CAV
Aerospace, Inc. is headquartered in North America at the SLN Aviation
Service Center on the Salina Airport in Kansas. CAV’s customer base includes
a number of aircraft manufacturers and more than 6,000 aircraft owners who
fly their products, including:
- Cessna Aircraft
- Cirrus Design
Corporation
- Commander Premier
Aircraft
- Diamond Aircraft
- General Atomic
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- Hawker Beechcraft
- Mooney Aircraft
- Piper Aircraft
- Quest Aircraft
- Socata EADS
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CAV Aerospace Inc. is the North American subsidiary of CAV Aerospace Ltd.,
a global Super Tier 1 Supplier. The parent company has manufacturing
centers in Consett, Leicester, and Wales, in the UK, and in Poland. It also
has offices in Poland, and Manchester, UK
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