Chinese Know How:
Captain Felix Smith in his excellent autobiography " China Pilot " ( memoirs of flying in China during the civil war till 1949 ) tells how Chinese engineers would de-ice his C46 Curtis Commando during mid winter operations in northern Manchuria. They simply tossed a rope over the wing and then sawed of the ice and snow by working the rope from wing root to wing tip. It cost nothing, was quick , simply, effective and above all gave a perfectly clear upper surface and leading edge. Says heaps for Chinese know how when compared to expensive modern day de-icing methods.
Those same Chinese ground crew had their own final double check method for ensuring that onloaded fuel was not contaminated with water. So simple it's hard to believe. If anyone is interested I can pass on how they did it. Felix Smith says as Captain of the C46 he also did this just to be sure.