Cranfield ICED CRM Project in Partnership with Airbus, Boeing & NASA

The first group of NWTF delegates has visited the Cranfield led ICED CRM Test Programme at the European Transonic Wind Tunnel (ETW) in Cologne, with a second group scheduled to attend in mid-April. The visits have been organised as part of the UK project ICED CRM, a collaboration between Cranfield University, Airbus, Boeing and NASA to conduct cryogenic low-speed wind tunnel testing at ETW.

The ICED CRM project focuses on improving understanding of aircraft icing, a significant challenge for both safety and efficiency in aviation. By testing representative ice shapes under realistic flight conditions, the programme aims to generate high-quality experimental data to better understand how icing affects aircraft performance, particularly during take-off and landing.

The findings will help inform improved modelling, support the development of mitigation technologies, and contribute to reducing unnecessary fuel burn and environmental impact associated with current icing management approaches.