Icing in the Bonanza

[andyjohnston.net 617]

Flying today in the Bonanza, my windows were frozen solid.  The panel has switches for Pitot heat and Prop deice, but nothing else.  Am I correct in understanding thee is no way to clear ice?

 

[Bobsk8 12,584]

4 minutes ago, andyjohnston.net said:

Flying today in the Bonanza, my windows were frozen solid.  The panel has switches for Pitot heat and Prop deice, but nothing else.  Am I correct in understanding thee is no way to clear ice? word not allowed far as the windshield goes, the I key will defrost the window, but you will probably still stall and crash from the airframe ice. 

 

Same thing in the Arrow 3 and Mooney. Just go into the weather, turn off live weather, and crank the temperature up way above freezing. The ice will eventually melt. They are supposed to eventually have a switch in MSFS to turn icing off completely.  As far as the windscreen, the I key will defrost it, but you will probably eventually lose airspeed, stall, and crash from the airframe ice. 

Edited April 14, 2021 by Bobsk8

[andyjohnston.net 617]

I have the Prem Del version, I don't have an Arrow or Mooney?  Did you get them as 3rd party aircraft?

[sidfadc 1,341]

Arrow and Mooney are payware.  Don't think the Bonanza is certified in icing conditions, tip don't fly into freezing clouds.

[Bobsk8 12,584]

36 minutes ago, sidfadc said:

Arrow and Mooney are payware.  Don't think the Bonanza is certified in icing conditions, tip don't fly into freezing clouds.

Th problem with icing in MSFS is that often occurs with just a low temp, not a small temp dew point spread , or clouds. Not realistic. 

[sidfadc 1,341]

3 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

Th problem with icing in MSFS is that often occurs with just a low temp, not a small temp dew point spread , or clouds. Not realistic. 

Agreed but in my experience, will always occur flying into the freezing clouds and in the Bonanza that's asking for trouble.

[amahran 47]

It’s a bit iffy, icing conditions are defined by visible moisture in zero-sub-zero conditions, but can also occur from standing water, freezing fog, freezing drizzle, etc.. But you can also get pitot icing in 100% clear skies.

Remember, it can be 15 degrees at airport elevation, but can be icing at 9000’. That’s how I got light rime icing in real life, and I wasn’t even in IMC.

[Bobsk8 12,584]

Just now, sidfadc said:

Agreed but in my experience, will always occur flying into the freezing clouds and in the Bonanza that's asking for trouble.

Most light aircraft without icing capability, that is really dangerous. 

[Bobsk8 12,584]

1 minute ago, amahran said:

It’s a bit iffy, icing conditions are defined by visible moisture in zero-sub-zero conditions, but can also occur from standing water, freezing fog, freezing drizzle, etc.. But you can also get pitot icing in 100% clear skies.

Remember, it can be 15 degrees at airport elevation, but can be icing at 9000’. That’s how I got light rime icing in real life, and I wasn’t even in IMC.

But in clear skies, wouldn't the dew point and temp be almost the same?

 

[JRBarrett 3,048]

1 hour ago, Bobsk8 said:

But in clear skies, wouldn't the dew point and temp be almost the same?

 

Dewpoint is directly related to the amount of water vapor (humidity) in the air. If dewpoint and temperature were almost the same, it would probably be noticeably hazy, and the air would feel “muggy” if the temperature was warm.

Dewpoint  can be (and often is) far below the ambient temperature in a dry desert climate. Right now in Tucson, the temperature is 84 degrees F and the dewpoint is only 12 degrees F (72 degrees less), meaning the temperature would have to drop from 84 degrees to 12 degrees for whatever  (very minuscule) amount of water vapor that currently exists in the air there to condense.

Edited April 14, 2021 by JRBarrett

[Gridley 257]

In a cloud, temp and dewpoint would be close to if not exactly the same.  That's why there's a cloud.  If the temp is below freezing, you will get ice accretion.  In MSFS, this is (over)simplified.

[Bobsk8 12,584]

49 minutes ago, Gridley said:

In a cloud, temp and dewpoint would be close to if not exactly the same.  That's why there's a cloud.  If the temp is below freezing, you will get ice accretion.  In MSFS, this is (over)simplified.

I have gotten really bad icing in MSFS in a clear sky, without a cloud anywhere in site, and temp around 25 degrees F or less. 

[Mace 1,902]

26 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

I have gotten really bad icing in MSFS in a clear sky, without a cloud anywhere in site, and temp around 25 degrees F or less. 

I'm not sure if that's intended behavior by the sim (?), it probably forgot to render the clouds :)  as it sometimes seems to do.

Anyway, you are so right about ice being so dangerous.  Here is one we had happen not far from me...in 2003.  They were flying with a partner aircraft, and he diverted and landed at Alton, IL.  The other aircraft continued on about another 50 nm, and ended up going down near Sparta IL.  They had a case of get-there-itis.  Here's the link to the 2003 story if you are interested, and the NTSB notes:

https://www.kfvs12.com/story/1167721/tragic-plane-crash-kills-two-heartland-men/

https://www.planecrashmap.com/plane/il/N7253Z/

What makes it worse is that the 58 year old was an instructor.

[Farlis 2,280]

8 hours ago, andyjohnston.net said:

  Am I correct in understanding thee is no way to clear ice?

Assign a keybinding for "Toggle Windshield Deice".

Problem solved.

[Bobsk8 12,584]

44 minutes ago, Farlis said:

Assign a keybinding for "Toggle Windshield Deice".

Problem solved.

As I said before that will only do the windscreen, if you take an outside look at your aircraft after the windscreen clears you will see it looks like a snow cone. Soon your airspeed drops, you lose altitude, eventually stall and crash. Ask me how I know.