The Boeing Company
System and method for modifying the location of water impingement limits on an airfoil

Abstract:

A system for modifying a location of a water impingement limit on an airfoil of an aircraft includes a flight control computer configured to receive data representative of environmental parameters in an environment of a flight path of an aircraft, determine, based on the environmental parameters, an existence of icing conditions to which the aircraft is currently subjected or is predicted to be subjected, and generate, based on the existence of icing conditions, a command signal for actuating a movable surface of the aircraft. The system further includes a surface actuator configured to receive the command signal from the flight control computer and adjust the movable surface in a manner causing an increase in an angle of attack of the airfoil to thereby modify a water impingement limit on the airfoil.