Artificial and Natural Icing Tests of the EH-60A Quick Fix Helicopter.

• Main Authors: Lewis, William D., Hanks, Marvin L., Young, Christopher J.
• Other Authors: ARMY AVIATION ENGINEERING FLIGHT ACTIVITY EDWARDS AFB CA
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1988
• Subjects: Snow; Ice and Permafrost; Helicopters; *HELICOPTERS; *ICE FORMATION; ACCUMULATION; ANTENNAS; ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE; DAMAGE; DEFICIENCIES; DIPOLE ANTENNAS; DIRECTION FINDING; ELECTRONIC COUNTERMEASURES; ENGINES; ENVIRONMENTS; FLIGHT; FLIGHT ENVELOPE; FLIGHT TESTING; ICE; INLETS; MINNESOTA; OSCILLATION; PROBES; PROTECTION; ROTORS; TEST METHODS; LPN-AEFA-88-06; EH-60A aircraft; H-60 aircraft; AN/ALQ-151; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA204589; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA204589

Artificial and natural icing flight tests were conducted on the EH-60A, Quick Fix helicopter (USA SN 84-24019) to establish a moderate icing flight envelope for the helicopter with the AN/ALQ-151(V)2 countermeasures system installed. The tests were conducted at Duluth, Minnesota from 24 February to 20 March 1988. A total of 11.8 flight hours were flown in the icing environment. After damage to an unprotected direction finding (DF) dipole antenna during an icing encounter, the project was terminated. During these tests, two deficiencies and eight shortcomings were noted. The two icing related deficiencies are: Excessive DF dipole antenna element oscillations induced by ice accumulation resulting in damage to the DF antenna element mounts and phenolic blocks, and the ice accretion and shedding characteristics of the EH-60A helicopter forward of the engine inlets resulting in a high probability of engine foreign object damage. The major shortcomings are: The excessive increase in power required with rotor system ice accumulation, the excessive Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) antenna oscillations induced by ice accumulation, the ice accretion and shedding characteristics of the outside air temperature probes, and the inability of the ECM antenna to fully retract following an icing flight. Four additional shortcomings were identified. The EH-60A Quick Fix helicopter, as configured for this test, was not suitable for flight into an icing environment. The EH-60A Quick Fix helicopter, as configured for this test, should not be cleared for flight in icing conditions. (sdw)