Why are some aircraft able to fly in extremely cold climates (such as the Poles)? What causes them to not freeze over?

Question

I am a huge fan of flight simulation games (and aircraft mechanics in general), and this is a question that has always been interesting to me. Why are some crafts able to fly in super cold areas without freezing over and inevitably plummeting, while others have basically no chance of staying airborne?

In: 522

Answer 1

I used to build airplanes! It’s my time to shine lol

Planes that need to fly at high altitudes or in very cold conditions have specific systems designed to mitigate the effects of the cold weather. First, let’s separate aircraft into two categories:

**Aircraft with non-pressurized cabins.** This type of airplane is designed to fly at relatively low altitudes (under 10,000 feet, generally). At this flight level, temperatures are colder than what you’d see at ground level, but it’s often above freezing.

**Aircraft with pressurized cabins.** This type of aircraft has a cabin (where you sit) that can be pressurized. This is necessary when you fly above somewhere around 10,000 feet, because the air gets too thin to provide the oxygen required by humans. At flight levels above 10,000 feet, temperatures start to drop rapidly.

Both types of aircraft can be prepped to fly in cold conditions, but pressurized aircraft more or less have to be, or they’d be very limited in where & when they can fly.

Examples of cold weather features:

Carburetor heater. As the engine sucks air in, ice can form around the inlet of the carburetor. Carb heat prevents this.

Pitot tube heat. Pitot tubes measure fluid velocity, and air is a fluid. There are a couple different types, and aircraft will often have more than one. If these tubes freeze up, you’ve got a problem, so they heat them.

Wing de-icing. Ice can form on the leading edges of the wings, so wing de-icers rely on a combination of heat and mechanical systems to remove ice. The ones I’ve worked on can heat up, but they also have inflatable rubber bladders that can blow up to shed ice, then shrink back to normal wing shape.

Keep in mind that everything I’m talking about here is on light aircraft. Large, commercial aircraft have much more sophisticated systems.