Keywords
Citation
(2005), "Eclipse 500 nacelle icing tests", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 77 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2005.12777eab.012
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2005, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Eclipse 500 nacelle icing tests
Eclipse 500 nacelle icing tests
Keywords: Aircraft, Safety
NRC Aerospace recently completed engine nacelle icing tests on the Eclipse 500 jet for Albuquerque, New Mexico-based jet-maker Eclipse Aviation. The test program, which included icing tunnel-based nacelle and engine/nacelle combinations required for certification purposes, took place in Ottawa.
Working directly with an airframe manufacturer on icing certification is a growing trend at NRC Aerospace, where previous icing tests were mostly for engine companies. In fact, the aircraft's engine, a Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) PW610, underwent icing tests for P&WC at the NEC Aerospace facilities in February. It was then put in the Eclipse nacelle for the March tests. To carry out these tests, a new icing tunnel was designed to surround the nacelle so that the airflow conditions duplicated what would happen in flight.
The NEC Aerospace Ottawa-based facilities provided a reliably cold winter location for the tests because the icing season runs from the beginning of December to the end of March, with external temperatures ranging from near freezing to below -7°F (-22°C), to match the typical certification matrix. Furthermore, the processes used by NEC Aerospace are well-known and well-accepted by the FAA and Transport Canada.