Wind Tunnel Testing for Icing Conditions & Impact on Aircraft Performance Workshop
- Date:
- 4th December 2025
- Location:
- Filton
- Organisation:
- Airbus
- Host(s):
- Paul White, Airbus
This workshop offered a focused exploration into the critical area of wind tunnel testing specifically designed for aircraft icing conditions and the resultant impact on aerodynamic coefficients. Hosted at Airbus UK, this event was a unique opportunity for professionals and researchers from industry and academia to converge, share expertise, and discuss the latest advancements and challenges in simulating, measuring, and understanding the effects of atmospheric icing on aircraft performance.
Key Focus Areas
The workshop covered fundamental principles, state-of-the-art techniques, and practical applications, including:
Icing Wind Tunnel Operation: Principles of simulating realistic atmospheric icing environments (rime, glaze, mixed ice) within a controlled wind tunnel setting.
Measurement Techniques for Ice Accretion: Methods for accurately measuring and documenting ice shapes, distribution, and mass, including non-intrusive optical and laser techniques.
Aerodynamic Coefficient Measurement: Specific protocols and instrumentation for precise measurement of lift, drag, and moment coefficients under various iced configurations.
Impact of Icing on Aerodynamics: Detailed analysis and discussion on how different ice shapes (e.g., horns, roughness) degrade aerodynamic performance, increase drag, and reduce maximum lift.
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Validation: Using wind tunnel data to validate and refine computational models for icing prediction and performance degradation.
Scaling Laws and Extrapolation: Challenges and methodologies in scaling wind tunnel test results to full-scale flight conditions.
Certification and Regulatory Aspects: Overview of the role of wind tunnel testing in meeting airworthiness requirements related to flight in icing conditions.
Who Should Attend?
This highly specialized workshop was ideal for:
- Aerodynamicists and Aircraft Designers
- Wind Tunnel Engineers and Operators
- Icing Specialists and Researchers
- Academics and Graduate Students in Aerospace Engineering
The workshop took place at Airbus UK, Filton Wind Tunnel, Bristol on 4 December 2025.
Registration for this event has now closed.
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