Would it be possible to add deicing boots to a 2001 SR22 G1? Trying to figure out if it’s possible to retrofit some capability to my current aircraft.
I forget the name of the company, but I have seen him at Oshkosh the past three years with a SR22 with heated elements on the leading edges. I don’t think it has been approved as of yet though. I seem to recall that he thought pricing would be around $30K. Maybe someone else has more details.
Kelley Aerospace has a Thermo-wing system…
100 amp alterntor required along with a secondary alternator IIRC…which may require cowl rework.
It’s actually Kelly Aerospace if anyone is web searching. This is not an option today for Todd’s plane. A couple holes have to be drilled into the wing and this is what the FAA is reviewing now. They think likely available in Spring of 2018 for the SR22. Walter said the STC approval has been the hardest of anything in his 15+ year history, but just one little item left. Coincidentally Kelly Aerospace has had this on their own Cirrus for 7 years and working well.
Certifications
- Columbia 300, 350, 400 / Cessna Corvalis 350, and 400 STC complete. Available Now!
- Cirrus SR-22 [pending].
Wow, subscribing to this thread. I didn’t know ThermaWing was an option. Would definitely like to learn more once they receive the STC. This could be a great addition to my G1, which doesn’t play well with the Northeast winters. Thanks!
I’m assuming this system would provide benefits similar to that of the non-FIKI Cirrus TKS system?
It could be even better given some of the inconsistent coverage reported by some using the non FIKI weeping systems. I wouldn’t leave out prop-deice though and I think the Kelly solution for prop is already STC’d for the Cirrus.
Why it Works
This new flexible, electrically conductive, graphite foil technology has none of the drawbacks or limited effectiveness of the boot or weeping wing. Instead of the chemical mess of liquid deicers and the added weight/performance drag of boots, the ThermaWing™ covers a large surface area without significant weight penalties and instantly sheds ice.
Once armed the ThermaWing™ system will activate at 41°F starting the deice cycle. An exact concentration of heat breaks the bond between the ice and heater surface during each cycle. Energy is controlled across the system so the leading edge and shed zones can be heated according to need. Thus making ThermaWing™ the most advanced aircraft deicing system available on the market today.
How it Works
The outer layer of the laminate is a heat-conducting Tedlar a very thin ice phobic. It offers a unique balance of aesthetics while offering the durability of a fluoropolymer. A zoned heater system is utilized and controlled by a solid-state processor. The impingement area, or leading edge, is kept warm continually melting impinging ice, or simply, “runs wet”. The area just aft of this impingement area, or shedding zone, is kept below freezing causing the run back to freeze and collect as ice. During a de-ice cycle the voltage is increased raising the temperature of this aft shedding zone, releasing the ice bond and shedding the ice via aerodynamic force. Once power is removed from the heater the shedding zones immediately freeze and continue to collect ice until the next de-ice cycle. This system may take as little as 1 second per surface and only 33 seconds to deice the entire aircraft using a 60 second cycle.
Thanks Randy,
As an partner in a 2003 TKS equipped 22, I am curious to know if Khelly is going to certify their product to known FIKI or will it just be a like product to our TKS hazard system? This could be an amazing upgrade for so many of us.
The Kelly system STC would NOT be certified FIKI. That process is incredibly costly and would require extensive cooperation with the manufacturer.
The TTx where the ThermaWing first appeared is available new as FIKI, but that is a TKS system.
Not to mention it would need protection on more places than the wing, like the wind screen for example.
Wow, I didn’t realize that they were continuing to pursue the SR22 STC, that’s such great news! At the risk of spreading FUD, I remember reading that there were some issues with heating the composite surrounding the heating strips on the TTx. Do you know if these issues were serious, and if Kelly developed a solution?
Thermawing has been promised for the 22 almost as long as DeltaHawk’ s diesel
You mean the aircraft where they removed the stall strips to place the boots on and didn’t replace them? …And flew it out there…
Randy/Jim, have you heard any updates regarding the Thermawing? I see Kelly has removed it from their website, but maybe they sold it off. I reached out to my contact (Todd Bates), but am still waiting to hear back. Thanks!
old thread. I don’t think thermawing is going anywhere, personally.
This is more interesting technology.
Super interesting. It seems they are on Premier1 and HondaJet. Is there an STC for Cirrus ?
no cirrus STC. No reason other than finding and time that it couldn’t be IMO. It’s a perfect solution, light, low power draw, runs automatically.
The leading edge would need to me made of something like aluminum or thin stainless in order to flex. I don’t think it would work on our composite leading edge.
Type of material doesn’t matter
https://www.airspacemag.com/how-things-work/electro-mechanical-deicing-6660440/
Also, are you trying to say fiberglass has less flex than aluminum?
My contribution to this thread has to do with adding anti-ice to an existing Cirrus which doesn’t have TKS. The existing material on our leading edges which is composite is not meant to take a repeated inflation cycles like aluminum can. In general, fiberglass has a modulus of elasticity twice that of aluminum. Meaning it’s twice as stiff.
For this to work the inflation cycle must remain in the elastic region of the material it is bending whilst shedding the ice.
And the system has been tested on composite and it’s not a problem. It’s a force of 10g but a very minute movement.