Pitot heat and De-Ice. Someone can help?

[edukras]

Hi, it's kinda off topic, but does anybody here could explain exactly how the Pitot heat and De-Ice switches can affect the flight? I don't know how and why to use them.

PS: anyone know what's the Activesky site?

Thanks!
Eduardo.

[h67driver]

In real aircraft you should turn on the pitot heat and anti-ice anytime you expect to encounter visible moisture with an outside air temp of 4 degrees C. (40 F.) or below. Visible moisture being rain, clouds, fog etc.. I don't know if flight simulator actually simulates ice build up. Deice systems are a little bit different. Some you turn on only after ice has already formed or been detected.

Bob

[Mike_Luchia]

http://www.hifisim.com/activeskywxre.htm

[alastairmonk]

The easiest way to see their effect is to climb to altitude with them off. When the pitot freezes up, you'll suddenly find your airspeed indicator dropping to zero.

Similarly, and I don't know that its modelled in FS, if your wings etc. ice up you will eventually crash !

I'm not a real pilot, but I understand that both do draw on the plane's electrical supply, so if you get electrical problems you may have to consider whether the battery drain from these things is acceptable, or whether you should switch them off. No doubt RL pilots have procedures that cover this issue.

Alastair

[sirecks]

Also, depending on the source of your anti-icing, you will take a hit on your engine power. Most jets use bleed air from the last stage of compression in the engines (the hottest air in the engine) and send it through ducts in the leading edges or engine inlets. Of course, anytime you tap air out of the engine, you have less air later on to burn and turn the turbines, so you take a slight hit on engine power. Your EPR will drop a couple of points. I have yet to see FS account for that. In the C-17, when we turn on engine anti-ice and/or wing anti-ice it will actually disconnect the auto throttles if you turn each one on to fast behing the other! The draw can be that much off the engines.

Smaller planes can use a variety of methods from air boots that "puff" up and crack the ice off, to electrically heated boots. I don't know if they still exist, but in A&P school we learned about an alchohol system that bleeds out of ports and melts the ice!! This was used on props as well as wings.

Pitot heat is just electrically heating up the probe to keep it free of weather debris.

Hope that helps some.

SSgt. Adam J. Sereika, USAF
Flying Crew Chief - C-17A Globemaster III
http://www.flightsim.com/dcforum/Use...0d7bd725e5.jpg
"If a cow laughs, does milk come out of its nose?"

[shwncplnd]

I haven't really noticed it yet, but Active Sky is supposed to actually simulate icing, so I guess maybe the Pitot heat and De-Icer aren't just for show anymore.