Effects Of Icing
You are least likely to encounter icing in the high cloud family, since these clouds are composed mainly of ice crystals.
The major hazard of aircraft ice, besides engine failure, is it's ability to change the shape of an airfoil and destroy it's lift.
| Induction Icing: | This can cause severe carburetor ice and engine failure. On a helicopter, carburetor icing might not be known until the last stages of an approach to a hover, when the most power is needed and it is not there. |
| Structural Icing: | Ice increases drag and weight, and decreases lift and thrust. Tests have shown that ice can reduce lift by as much as 30%, and increase drag by as much as 40%. These changes increase the amount of power required for flight. In extreme icing conditions, two to three inches of ice can form on the leading edge of an airfoil in less than five minutes. |