Originally Posted by RR NDB
1) Is the power being applied to the AS probes enough in order to their proper operation?
Not sure that I understand the question. If the
amount of heat is the problem, then it was obviously not enough to prevent blockage of the pitots in the particular conditions encountered by AF447. However, as stated by PJ2's #1420 in thread no.1:
The problem of momentarily blocked pitot tubes is extremely rare. Appendix 7 of the BEA Second Interim Report, which see, lists the events which occurred to Airbus. (...) but given the millions of ice-crystal-cloud-penetrations that occur each year without result, "avoiding all cloud" isn't realistic.
2) The delay between a sudden atmospheric temperature drop and the "reheating" of the probes could explain the "failures" leading to UAS?
The recorded data show the opposite of a temperature drop. At 02:09:30 the temperature was ISA +10.6°C, trending downwards (Interim #3, p.48), and at 02:10:00 it was ISA +15.6°C (p.86).