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Does the TKS system increase drag?

the system is approx 46lbs excluding 7 gallons of fluid weighing 65lbs.

Mtow is mtow. I notice that I am always slower than the poh. about 5 knots. Other owners with other aircraft see the same ..

I notice that I am always slower than the poh. about 5 knots. POH figures are based on "clean" aircraft without antenna.

BTW Yesterday I was flying alone, FL110 (almost one hour in IMC, rainy stratus, +3 degrees) and TB20 performed like never before - 125 KIAS (approx 145 TAS) - I expected few knots slower due to constant rain.

LDZA LDVA, Croatia

TB20 performed like never before - 125 KIAS (approx 145 TAS) - I expected few knots slower due to constant rain.

Freshly washed ?

;-)

Freshly washed ?

Believe or not - YES

LDZA LDVA, Croatia

No measurable speed loss on this TB20 – here

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

It all depends on the airfoil that it is applied to. If it is built into the wing there is less of an effect. However if it is added to the wing there is more of a probability there could be an effect. Just run your hand back from the leading edge to feel that the airfoil has changed.

I have a 210 and I had a speed loss of about 6 kts. However Ive heard that props with Deice boots will affect the air speed by as much as 5 kts with or without wing deice protection.

I have blade Com antennas which also slow the plane by a few knots. That was added before I got the TKS. So you add it all together and it does slow down the aircraft. The trade off of course is increased despatch reliability. In Europe with the high MEAs its essential.

KHTO, LHTL

It all depends on the airfoil that it is applied to. If it is built into the wing there is less of an effect

One would expect the SR22 to be more critical than the TB20 and sure enough the SR22 factory TKS is superbly well done

Not always mind you… this (same SR22) would be bad with a metal wing not just because the panel will get a load of water behind it which will freeze and expand but will cause corrosion

One company doing rubber boots as an STC add-on had to stop selling them due to elevator flutter, so that is another thing…

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I have now about 9 hours in the freshly installed TKS on my V35. I changed from a C76 to a Hartzell prop O timed. I have lost about 3 two 4 knots TAS. I assume its from the TKS system. I have a lot of drag from Antennas, I could clean it up but its an expensive 3 two 5 kts to do that:-). On 3 to 4 hours flight it doesn’t matter when taking into account the overall wind changes I encounter enroute…

Last Edited by Vref at 31 Jul 14:51
EBST

Peter I saw the way you did the bonding of the aft section of the TKS panel. It was superbly done. I might just have mine done all over again with the guy you used.

KHTO, LHTL

I did it myself. It is just a fillet, which can be done anytime afterwards (provided there is no corrosion there, and no water got in).

My A&P/IA colleague did the metal hacking, the installation of the tubing, the pumps, etc, while I did

  • forming of the TKS panels (they were manufactured about 1cm too wide and had to be squeezed with a special wooden fixture!)
  • most of the sealant application behind the panels (used a pressurised-air dispenser – essential)
  • the fillets / beads
  • all electrics and panel hacking required for that

We worked together on anything where this was useful, and much of the installation does need 2 people to get things to line up.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
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