Investigating Icing Solutions for MQ-8 (Fire Scout) UAS
(Room Innovation Hub-- Booth 2727)
03 May 16
10:00 AM
-
5:30 PM
Tracks:
Air, Defense, Research and Development
Operations in and around icing conditions are a significant threat to aircraft and have been a focus of the aviation industry for many years. Because of the complexities associated with a rotor system, the icing threat becomes more critical for rotorcraft. Without a pilot on board to observe actual meteorological conditions, both detection and mitigation become even more challenging for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The safeguards against such threats may range anywhere from complete avoidance through early detection of any potential icing conditions to continuous operations in severe icing conditions using advanced ice prevention and removal systems. Where a specific Air Vehicle (AV) may fall on this continuum will depend on its ability to detect icing conditions well in advance of ice accretion on the airframe, its ability to maintain the required situational awareness of its pilot/operator, and its ice protection capabilities. The MQ-8 Fire Scout is a vertical takeoff and landing UAS operated by the U.S. Navy. As currently used, it is primarily an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform operating in both sea and land based environments. Even though it is configured with an airframe-mounted ice detection sensor to detect icing environment, standard procedure is to avoid icing conditions altogether because, while the sensor may provide reliable information, notification of ice accretion is essentially real-time, providing the Air Vehicle Operator (AVO) virtually with no prognostic capability as the AV enters icing environment. The challenge, therefore, is to develop a system that will reliably notify the AVO well in advance of the operations in impending icing conditions. The Navy and Marine Corps Multi-Mission Tactical Unmanned Air Systems Program (PMA-266) has launched a formal initiative to incorporate a system that will help reduce the probability of loss of AV due to operations in potential icing conditions through some reliable means of notifying the operator well in advance of operations in impending icing environment. This paper discusses how the MQ-8 UAS is addressing the in-flight icing challenges along with the details of the study undertaken to develop an enhanced icing solutions roadmap for improved mission effectiveness while maintaining safe operations.