iceplanes

11.30.09

The Ice Plane Cometh

South Korea’s extreme-weather aircraft-testing facility opens
By Greg Soltis Posted 11.17.2008 at 12:57 pm 3 Comments

Show Off: The ice coating is just for effect. Heat from air resistance would melt any ice on planes in-flight.  Lee Jin-Man

The South Korean air force showcased its new aircraft testing and evaluation center on opening day, September 8, by coating this F-4 Phantom fighter jet with ice. In the facility, engineers simulate conditions that a plane might encounter at 40,000 feet to determine if the craft’s composite structure—particularly in its wings—can endure the freezing temperatures without cracking.

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