propylene glycol

[Rick310]

X-plane needs an add on called deicing fluid or propylene glycol. I can not fly in Alaska in winter time with a small aircraft. Or any where in the winter time for that matter.  So in the winter I fly the Dornier 228-100 because it has deicing equipment.

Flyng in Alaska in the summer time is brutal. High winds, turbulence makes Alaska a great place to fly in small aircraft. The Alaskan bush pilots are the best pilots in the world, NO question. The skill level they have to maintain is top notch.

Bottom line X-plane needs propylene glycol simulation for small planes. This would be a good marketing item for any company.

Edited February 18, 2023 by Rick310

[Rick310]

I found one aircraft with Propylene Glycol available. AFM M20 Collection. I plan to buy this aircraft as soon as funds are available. I hope more devolpers follow suit with the De iceing fluid for the small aircraft.

Fly Alaska! Awesome!

[daemotron]

There are a couple of aircraft with TKS systems implemented. Here on XA it's the SR22 that comes with a functioning TKS system. The Diamond fleet (by Aerobask) also has TKS. Others have attempted to implement something, but not too the greatest effect (but hard to judge right now while XP12 still exaggerates when it comes to icing).

Most GA aircraft with TKS though are not FIKI certified, so these systems are intended to allow escaping icing conditions encountered unexpectedly. For Arctic operations, TKS isn't sufficient anyway. Even boots have a limited effect. Heatable leading edges are effective, but hardly available for smaller aircraft.

[Rick310]

Daemotron,

Don't know about TKS systems. Propylene Glycol is a fluid that is sprayed on the aircraft. Lowers the freezing point of the water to a -60 degrees. And is very effective in Alaska in the winter time. Now how effective are these systems in xp11? You may be right. The Aero Commander 690B, I find the boots very effective in Alaska. The small aircraft as you know have no De iceing equipment, that is why xp11 and xp12 needs Proplene Glycol simulation in the small aircraft, so it can be flown in Alaska in the winter time.

Last summer I flew the Just Flight Piper Arrow 4 Turbo in Alaska and was able to avoid any iceing conditions. This summer I am taking the Just Flight Piper Arrow 3 to Alaska.

This world will never end, but the beings living in this world may. But I will never see either, I am nearing the end of my life on earth and will begin a new in the after life.(Heaven) Just saying.

[daemotron]

Here fluid-based systems are still known by the TKS acronym, which stands for Tecalemit-Kilfrost-Sheepbridge Stokes - a British aerospace company which developed the first fluid based anti-icing system during WWII.

It's possible to install FIKI certified fluid systems (larger fluid tanks and redundant pumps are among the requirements), but those are rather rare.

[Rick310]

Thank-you, never heard of that. But good to know. I don't foresee this happening. I think it would lower profitablity and devolpers would not make the profit to fit the labor costs.

Maybe consider flying in weather that fits the flying conditions. Drop real world weather. Then I would be abe to fly in Alaska in the winter time. Other words cheat on the weather.

 

[daemotron]

I'd say it very much depends on the depth developers are aiming for. XP already has anti-icing on board. The easiest thing to do is bind a key for the various anti-icing commands. The easiest thing developers can do is installing switches in the cockpit and tie them to these default commands.

These default commands can keep icing at bay, but do not necessarily represent a specific system, so the deicing capabilities will deviate from a specific real system.

[Rick310]

I hope your right, Deamotron. I really want to see this happen with all small aircraft. Not only so I can fly Alaska, but also the lower 48 states and Canada as well in the winter time. As I have said before, I only fly small turbo prop and prop aircraft.

I am watching the development of aircraft for X-Plane 12 very closely (IE Aerosoft, Just Flight, X-Aviation, and Thranda). And the de Icing systems on small aircraft will be a BIG factor for me.

I hope Developers are reading this thread.

[VirtualAviator]

On 4/7/2023 at 9:35 AM, Rick310 said:

I am nearing the end of my life on earth and will begin a new in the after life.(Heaven) Just saying.

May you live long and recover lost health. Hope you're still simming at 99.