"A review ... of meteorological factors conducive to aircraft icing reveals outstanding needs"

Meteorological Instruments Thread

Figure 6 from NACA-RM-E51E16. Rotating-disk type icing-rate meter.

Summary

Several instruments were developed and improved during the NACA-era to measure icing conditions.

Numerous modes of physics were explored, and distant descendants of some devices are still used today.

Reviews

Rotating Multicylinders

NACA-TN-2708, Comparison of Three Multicylinder Icing Meters and Critique of Multicylinder Method.

NACA-RM-E53D23, Procedure for Measuring Liquid-Water Content and Droplet Sizes in Super-cooled Clouds by Rotating Multicylinder Method.

Nine instruments NACA-RM-A9C09

Rotating Multicylinders

Fixed Cylinder

Rotating-Disk Icing-Rate Meter

Capillary Collector

Rainbow Recorder

Dew-Point Recorder

Visibility Meter

Sooted Slides

Drop Photography

Water drop imaging

NACA-RM-E50K01a

NACA-RM-E51G05

NACA-TN-3592

Heated probes

NACA-RM-E50J12a

NACA-TN-2615

NACA-RM-A54I23

Inference from airfoil impingement

NACA-TN-1397

NACA-TN-2476

NACA-RM-E52B12

Corona discharge

NACA-TN-2458

Modified pressure probe

NACA-RM-E51E16

Conclusions of NACA Icing Instruments

Possible additions

Vonnegut, B., Cunningham, R. M., and Katz, R. E.: Instruments for Measuring Atmospheric Factors Related to Ice Formation on Airplanes. De-Icing Res. Lab., Dept. Meteorology, M.I.T., April 1946.

Golitzine, M.: Method for Measuring the Size of Water Droplets in Clouds, Fogs and Sprays. National Aeronautical Establishment Canada, Note 6 (ME-177), 1951.

Selected Images

Figure 6 from NACA-RM-E50K01a. General view of droplet camera.
Figure 6 from NACA-RM-E50K01a

Figure 2 from NACA-RM-E50J12a. Construction details of NACA liquid-water-content meter.
Figure 2 from NACA-RM-E50J12a

Figure 5 from NACA-TN-1397. Relation of water-drop trajectories to streamline
field about symmetrical Joukowsi airfoil 12 percent thick.
Figure 5 from NACA-TN-1397

Figure 7 from NACA-TN-2458. Rear view of charged-droplet cloud analyzer
mounted on bomb-bay doors of airplane.
Figure 7 from NACA-TN-2458

Figure 1 of NACA-RM-E51E16. Principle of operation of NACA pressure-type
icing-rate indicator.
Figure 1 from NACA-RM-E51E16

The next thread in the NACA review series is the Ice Protection Thread.

References

The Historical Selected Bibliography of NACA-NASA Icing Publications Meteorological Instruments section [some with links to prior reviews]:

Bergrun, Norman R.: A Method for Numerically Calculating the Area and Distribution of Water Impingement on the Leading Edge of an Airfoil in a Cloud. NACA-TN-1397, 1947.
Jones, Alun R., and Lewis, William: A Review of Instruments Developed for the Measurement of the Meteorological Factors Conducive to Aircraft Icing. NACA-RM-A9C09, 1949.
McCullough, Stuart, and Perkins, Porter J.: Flight Camera for Photographing Cloud Droplets in Natural Suspension in the Atmosphere. NACA-RM-E50K01a, 1951.
Perkins, Porter J.: Flight Instrument for Measurement of Liquid-Water Content in Clouds at Temperatures Above and Below Freezing. NACA-RM-E50J12a, 1951.
Perkins, Porter J., McCullough, Stuart, and Lewis, Ralph D.: A Simplified Instrument for Recording and Indicating Frequency and Intensity of Icing Conditions Encountered in Flight. NACA-RM-E51E16, 1951.
Levine, Joseph, and Kleinknecht, Kenneth S.: Adaptation of a Cascade Impactor to Flight Measurement of Droplet Size in Clouds. NACA-RM-E51G05, 1951.
Brun, Rinaldo J., Levine, Joseph, and Kleinknecht, Kenneth S.: An Instrument Employing a Coronal Discharge for the Determination of Droplet-Size Distribution in Clouds. NACA-TN-2458, 1951.
Bergrun, Norman R.: An Empirical Method Permitting Rapid Determination of the Area, Rate, and Distribution of Water-Drop Impingement on an Airfoil of Arbitrary Section at Subsonic Speeds. NACA-TN-2476, 1951.
Brun, Rinaldo J., Serafini, John S., and Moshos, George J.: Impingement of Water Droplets on an NACA 651-212 Airfoil at an Angle of Attack of 4°. NACA-RM-E52B12, 1952.
Neel, Carr B., Jr., and Steinmetz, Charles P.: The Calculated and Measured Performance Characteristics of a Heated-Wire Liquid-Water-Content Meter for Measuring Icing Severity. NACA-TN-2615, 1952.
Howell, Wallace E.: Comparison of Three Multicylinder Icing Meters and Critique of Multicylinder Method. NACA-TN-2708, 1952.
Lewis, William, Perkins, Porter J., and Brun, Rinaldo J.: Procedure for Measuring Liquid-Water Content and Droplet Sizes in Super-cooled Clouds by Rotating Multicylinder Method. NACA-RM-E53D23, 1953.
Neel, Carr B., Jr.: A Heated-Wire Liquid-Water-Content Instrument and Results of Initial Flight Tests in Icing Conditions. NACA-RM-A54I23, 1955.
Hacker, Paul T.: An Oil-Stream Photomicrographic Aeroscope for Obtaining Cloud Liquid-Water Content and Droplet Size Distribution in Flight. NACA-TN-3592, 1956.