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I have a thermawing system on my IVP that has saved my ass a couple of times, including what I thought was going to be a VFR flight last week from Seattle to Boise.
The first little bit of the flight was VFR, but I soon found myself flying above a deck. I was at 17.5 and the clouds below me gradually rose to and began to exceed my altitude as I transitioned to IFR.
I admit to getting behind the airplane, planning the approach, etc., when I looked out and saw the wings pretty frosted up. I turned on the heated wings, pitot heat, and prop heat, and squirted the windscreen with glycol. All of this should have been done before entering the clouds at those temperatures. My bad. Lesson for next time. Turn everything on earlier.
Very quickly and much to my relief, the ice curled up into large flakes and blew off the wings, as advertised.
The installation and subsequent fine tuning of the thermawing was not without its speed bumps. RDD had to replace a couple of faulty heater control units, which they did not charge me for. They also replaced my 100 amp alternator, which hadn't broken or faulted, but others like it had. So they replaced it with a new/improved/ different model, under warranty, with no charge to me for the component or labor.
The advantage of the thermawing system versus the other alternatives is that you don't have to carry around a heavy load of liquid glycol to spray your wings, and then try to find more fluid after landing in some shit-splat little Idaho town that has never heard of the stuff. And you don't have to glue inflatable rubber bladders to your wing to pop off the ice.
The system is early in its life cycle still, and bugs are being worked out. But it has huge (IMHO) advantages over the other alternatives.
If I lived in Las Vegas, I probably would not bother with a de-ice or anti ice system (although I did ice up pretty severely over Delta Utah one August day at 16,000 in a Centurion T210 that only had prop heat. Amazing how brick-like the chunks of ice seem as they melt off your prop and slam into your windscreen....).
Living in Seattle, I think having a heated wing is pretty prudent. I'm glad I have it.
John Hafen
IVP 413AJ
265 hours
On Sep 9, 2010, at 5:07 PM, Doug owen wrote:
> I have had the thermawing system installed by RDD on my IV-P turbine a couple
> of years ago.
>
> The computer controller failed within a few weeks and had to be replaced. The
> alternator failed within a couple of months and had to be replaced (involving
> pulling the prop). I developed an oil leak around the prop after their
> installation. Pulled prop and found that NO gasket was re-installed when they
> had reinstalled the prop. The wiring connectors were not aviation grade - in
> fact, they were not even OEM auto grade, but appeared to be K mart grade. I had
> to replace all of them. My marker beacon antenna failed due to the install work
> and had to be replaced.
>
> When the system is on, I have a very annoying alternator whine constantly in my
> headsets.
>
> The heat units on the wing have many folds and uneven areas, particularly on the
> bottom of the leading edge. I brought this up to Dave McRae (one of the 3
> principals of RDD). He told me to my face "we did not charge you enough to do a
> good job!!!" It seemed to me they charged me plenty, and I paid them what they
> asked.
>
> I would advise that, if you consider having RDD install this system, DO NOT
> leave your airplane unattended during any aspect of the work. I certainly regret
> installing this system, but have not pulled it out either. I pretty much avoid
> icing situations anyway, and so far have not needed to use the system in flight.
> I hope that, if and when I do need it, it does not fail at the worst moment!
>
> Doug Owen
> N800DB
>
>
>
>
> --
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