Ice and Rain Protection

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Panels

737-3/4/500 Ice & Rain

737-1/200 Ice & Rain Panel Panel 737-NG Ice & Rain Panel
Differences:

1. No alpha vanes 1. Alpha vanes 1. Static ports not

2. WAI has ground test position added heated
3. Engine anti-ice captions are: 2. Now only one 2. Aux pitot added.
COWL VALVE OPEN, R VALVE temp probe (many
OPEN, L VALVE OPEN. 1/200's had two)
3. TAT TEST button
(ie aspirated
probe). NB if there
is no TAT TEST
button you have
an unaspirated
probe.
Window Heat

If window heat is switched ON but the ON light is extinguished, this means that heat is not being
applied to the associated window. This could be because the heat controller has detected that
the window is becoming overheated (normal on hot days in direct sunlight) and can be verified
by touching the window. The heat will automatically be restored when the window has cooled
down. To verify that window heat is still available a PWR TEST should illuminate all ON lights if
the window heat switches are ON. The PWR TEST forces the temperature controller to full
power but overheat protection is still available.

If an OVERHEAT light illuminates, either a window has overheated or electrical power to the
window has been interrupted. The affected window heat must be switched OFF and allowed 2-
5mins to cool before switching ON again. The OVHT TEST simulates an overheat condition.

Pitot Heat

See Instrument Probes page for explanation.

Wing Anti Ice

Wing anti-ice (WAI) is

very effective and is
normally used as a de-
icing system in-flight, in
applications of 1
minute. On the ground
it should be used
continuously in icing
conditions.

The WAI switch logic is

interesting, on the
ground, bleed air for
WAI will cut-off if either
thrust lever is above the
take-off warning setting,
but will be restored after
the thrust is reduced.
This allows you to
perform engine run-ups etc without having to check that the WAI is still on afterwards. The
switch is solenoid held and will trip off at lift-off, this is for performance considerations as the
bleed air penalty is considerable.

Note that on early systems, ie those with a GND TEST position, with the WAI switch ON on the
ground, the WAI is inhibited until lift-off ie "armed", This is opposite to the present system.

WAI, unlike engine AI, uses bleed air from the main pneumatic manifold, this is to ensure a
source of bleed air during engine out operations. Only the leading edge slats have WAI (ie not
leading edge flaps). The NG series outboard slat has no wing anti-ice facility (see photo)
believed to be due to excessive bleed requirements. However in June 2005 it was announced
that the 737-MMA will have raked wingtips with anti-ice along the full span. This is because the
MMA will be spending long periods of time on patrol at low level where it will be exposed to icing
conditions.

NB Where QRH ENGINE FAILURE/SHUTDOWN drills ask “If wing anti-ice is required:”, if icing
conditions are anticipated, these actions should be completed in preparation for WAI use to
prevent asymmetric application. There is no bleed penalty for this reconfiguration until WAI is
actually used.

On the NG, if WAI is used for more than 5 secs in-flight, the SMYD will adjust the stick shaker
speeds and manouvre speed bars to allow for airframe ice.

Photo: Wing ice on the outboard slat of a 737-700

Engine Anti Ice

Engine anti-ice (EAI) heats

the engine cowl to prevent
ice build-up, which could
break off and enter the
engine. The 3/4/500 spinner
was originally conical to
prevent ice buildup but was changed to an elliptical shape to deflect ice away from the engine
core. The NG's have the best of both worlds with a coneliptical shaped spinner (see photo left)
that does both jobs. EAI should be used continuously on the ground and in the air in icing
conditions. It uses 5th stage bleed air, augmented by 9th stage as required, from the associated
engine. COWL ANTI-ICE lights will illuminate if an overtemp of >440C (not NGs) or overpressure
>65psig condition exists in either duct. In this situation thrust on the associated engine should be
reduced until the light extinguishes.

Wing and engine VALVE OPEN lights use the bright blue/dim blue - valve position in
disagreement / agreement logic. The wing L and R VALVE OPEN lights in particular may remain
bright blue after start and during taxy. This is because they are pneumatically operated, they can
be made to open with a modest amount of engine thrust.

The MAX engine anti-ice panel has a new amber caption ENGINE ANTI-ICE. When illuminated
this indicates that the engine cowl thermal anti-ice system has been inhibited due to a system
failure or when an engine core anti-ice valve fails closed.
Ice Detection System

The ice detection system is available as an option on Classics and NGs. Aircraft with this option
have an extra probe on the lower left fuselage dedicated to ice detection.

There are two advisory lights on the left forward panel. When the probe senses ice build-up in
flight, the ICING light illuminates. When ice has previously detected and the probe is no longer
detecting ice, the ICING light will extinguish and the NO ICE light will illuminate. Unfortunately,
this NO ICE light needs to be pushed to cancel which can be annoying. Personally I think that
the system should just have had the ICING light which illuminates when in icing.
There is also an ICE DETECTOR light, on the anti-ice panel which will illuminate when the ice
detection system fails.
Airframe Visual Icing Cues

An ice detection system is an option that is rarely taken up on the 737 so it is up to the crew to
spot ice formation and take the necessary action. The following photos show some of the places
where ice accretion is visible from the flight deck. Note engine anti-ice should be used whenever
the temperature and visible moisture criteria are met and not left until ice is seen, to avoid inlet
ice build up which may shed into the engine.

Under the windscreen

wiper blades.

This is one of the first

places that ice will form,
precipitation falls on the
bottom of the
windscreen and runs up
to the wipers.

This is not an accurate

indication of the amount
of icing on the airframe
because of the
stagnation point where
the blade and
windscreen meet and
also because the
windscreen is heated.

I would describe
conditions where ice forms here as LIGHT ICING.
On the wiper nut

This is my preferred
indication of airframe
ice accretion. If ice is
seen here it is surely
also on other parts of
the airframe.

The weight and

aerodynamic effect of
all this ice on the the
airframe and control
surfaces is why there is
the "residual ice"
penalty of several tons
on the landing
performance graphs "If
operating in icing
conditions during any
part of the flight when
the forecast landing temperature is below 8C, reduce the normal climb limited landing weight by
xxxxkg." (Ref FPPM).
I would describe conditions where ice forms here as MODERATE ICING.
On the central
windscreen pillar

For ice to form on a flat

heated windscreen,
conditions must be bad.
You can see how the
shape of the formation
follows the airflow lines.
You can imagine how
much ice is on the rest
of the aircraft,
especially when you
consider that most of it
is unheated, particularly
on the fin and stabiliser.

Vol 1 SP.16.8 states

"Avoid prolonged
operation in moderate
to severe icing
conditions." This photo was taken at about 20,000ft climbing through the tops of rain bearing
frontal cloud. The ice shown here formed in under a minute.

I would describe conditions where ice forms here as SEVERE ICING.

Non-environmental Icing

The NG's have a problem with frost forming after landing on the wing above the tanks where fuel
has been cold soaked. This is officially known as "Wing upper surface non-environmental icing".
The reason is the increased surface area of the fuel that comes into contact with the upper
surface of the wing. This is because the shape of the wing fuel tanks was changed (moved
outboard) to accommodate the longer landing gear that was in turn required for the increased
fuselage lengths of the NG family to reduce the risk of tailstrikes! The only solution until recently
has been to limit your arrival fuel to less than approx 4,000kg. Now Boeing have issued
guidelines on the acceptable location and amount of upper wing frost.

The Boeing advice is as follows: "Flight crews should visually inspect the lower wing surface. If
there is frost or ice on the lower surface, outboard of measuring stick 4, there may also be frost
or ice on the upper surface. The distance the frost extends outboard of measuring stick 4 can be
used as an indication of the extent of frost on the upper surface. It should be noted that if the
thickness of the frost on the lower surface of the wing is 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) thick or less, the
thickness of the frost on the upper surface will be less than 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) thick. If the
thickness of the frost on the lower surface is greater than 1/16 inch (1.5 mm), then a physical
inspection of the upper surface frost is required."
 Wiper Controls

One of the most welcome features of the 737-NG is

the improvement to the windscreen wipers. The
wipers are now independent, have an intermittent
position and best of all - are almost silent.

Rain Repellent

The rain repellent has been removed due to worries

about the environmental effects of the "RainBoe" fluid
used as it contains CFC's. It is also poisonous and in
1991 Boeing added D-limonine which has a strong
737-1/200 smell of orange peel into RainBoe so that leakage
could be detected. There are no plans to replace the
rain repellent with another liquid product even though
there are safe alternatives eg "Le Bozec".

On 25 May 1982, a 737-200Adv (PP-SMY)

was written off by a heavy landing in a rainstorm. One
report stated that "The pilots misuse of rain repellent
caused an optical illusion".

Since early 1994 all Boeing aircraft have been built

with Surface Seal coated glass from PPG Industries
which has a hydrophobic coating. The coating does
deteriorate with time depending upon wiper use and
windscreen cleaning methods etc, but can be re-
applied.
737-1/2/3/4/500

737-NG
Check out this video of a 737-900 DV window opening during the take-off roll during flight
testing. Notice that a high speed abort is not necessary if the DV window opens.

Limitations
Engine anti-ice must be on when icing conditions exist or are anticipated, except during climb
and cruise below -40°C SAT.

Use of wing anti-ice above FL350 may cause bleed trip off and possible loss of cabin pressure.
(SP.16.8)

See also maintenance notes by Ferreira

News

13 Aug 2009 - PPG Aerospace to redesign windshields for 737NG

Boeing requests windshield liner to keep glass from flight deck in bird-strike event

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Aug. 13, 2009 – PPG Industries’ (NYSE:PPG) aerospace transparencies
business has been awarded a contract by Spirit AeroSystems to redesign the laminated glass
windshields for Boeing’s Next-Generation 737 airplanes. The windshields are being redesigned
at Boeing’s request to accommodate airframe improvements. To meet Boeing specifications, the
redesigned windshields will be slightly smaller than the current versions and include an inboard
plastic antispall liner to prevent broken glass from entering the flight deck during a bird-strike
event, according to Art Scott, PPG Aerospace global sales director for commercial original-
equipment transparencies. “Boeing has asked for an alternate approach to bird-strike
performance for the windshields that works structurally with the 737 airframe,” Scott said.
“Adding an antispall liner to the windshields for Next-Generation 737 airplanes enables Boeing to
keep the structural airframe design while incorporating newer technology.” PPG will be the sole
source of the redesigned windshields for production and aftermarket applications. Scott said
PPG expects certification of the new-design windshields in the second quarter 2010. The
windshields will be designed and manufactured at PPG’s Huntsville, Ala., facility for delivery to
Wichita, Kan., where Spirit makes the fuselage for Boeing.