Kestrel Aircraft's turboprop design will feature an electro-mechanical deicing system, the company announced this week at the NBAA Convention in Orlando. The Cox & Co. system removes ice from the leading edges with a pulsing impact delivered from channels inside the leading edges of the wings. CEO Alan Klapmeier said the system retains laminar flow over the wing while removing the ice. "This is a critical factor for achieving high speed and reducing drag and fuel consumption," he said.
The system also has lower lifetime costs than other deicing systems, Klapmeier said, and requires no regular maintenance. It has been approved by both the FAA and EASA for flight into known icing. It's used on several new business jets, according to Cox & Co., including the HondaJet and Lear 85. Kestrel represents the first entry into the GA market for the system, the company said. AVweb's editor-in-chief, Russ Niles, took a look at the system at the Cox & Co. booth at NBAA; click here for his video report.
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