De Icing Of The Fuselage

[LEM]

This morning I was puzzled when I saw a LH a321 deicing the fuselage also.

What could be the reason for that?

As our bus passed nearby they were deicing the antennae area.

Maybe the Captain asked for antennaes deicing only, not for the whole fuselage...?

Personally, I've never deiced the fuselage for morning frost.

Any Company where this is required?

[Gary Lager]

Fuselage icing (hoar frost etc) permitted if only a thin layer exists, i.e. one through which surface details/markings can be seen (approx max 3mm). Maybe they had more than that?

After a foot of snowfall on the aircraft you'd need to de-ice everything, so you must have to start doing it at some nominal thickness.

Bottom line is, if you (PIC) want it de-iced (whatever 'it'is), get it de-iced. No argument.

[Mad (Flt) Scientist]

§ 121.629 Operation in icing conditions.

(b) No person may take off an aircraft when frost, ice, or snow is adhering to the wings, control surfaces, propellers, engine inlets, or other critical surfaces of the aircraft or when the takeoff would not be in compliance with paragraph (c) of this section. Takeoffs with frost under the wing in the area of the fuel tanks may be authorized by the Administrator.

The crucial part of the reg (that's FAA, but it was easiest to find) is bolded - "other critical surfaces". Someone may have defined the A321 fuselage as "critical", in which case it must be deiced. Certainly it's been defined as critical for many rear-engined aircraft, which consequently do require fuselage deicing (I think it was an engine ice ingestion concern originally)

[West Coast]

Many operators with aft mounted engines will deice the fuselage (especially the aft part) to avoid possible ingestion of ice on the T/O roll as it shears from the fuselage.

[gengis]

The reasons for all the above are obvious - the alteration of the aerodynamic properties of the aerofoil with ice formation on the wing (shape & skin friction). But one other consideration that needs to be taken into account is the addional weight that any ice formation adds to the airplane. Granted that ice on the fuselage may not produce much adverse effects on the lifting capability of the wings, but large buildup of ice over the airframe as a whole could significantly increase the airplane weight... in unmeasurable/un-quantifiable increments. If in doubt, de-ice the whole thing.

[Swedish Steve]

Here in ARN we rarely deice the fuselage for frost, unless it has melted and run into rivelets down the fuselage. But snow is always removed. Now my question. When there is precipitation, after deicing we antice the wings and stabilisor with Type 2 100% fluid. One day a capt asked for the fuselage to be anticed also. This has only happened to me once. Usually we deice the fuselage and fin with type 1 and leave it at that. Anyone have any views on the subject. I only look after wing mounted engine aircraft so engine ingestion is not a problem. It caused quite a stir at the time because the deicing crew had never done it before and some discussion took place.
After living in a cold weather station for 15 years, you think you are good at deicing, then someone comes along with a new question.

[Dream Land]

two cents worth

Steve,

After being based in Minneapolis and Detroit I wouldn't think anti-icing fluid would be required on the fuselage unless you were departing during freezing precipitation.