ATR IS TO PRESS AHEAD with certification of its proposed wing de-icing-boot modification, following successful tests in the USA.
The modification, which resulted from the fatal crash of an ATR 72 near Chicago in October 1994, will double the size of the leading edge boots (Flight International, 11-17 January).
The Aerospatiale/Alenia consortium says that three test flights, with the new boots fitted, were performed at Edwards AFB, California, on 6-7 March.
During the last flight, lasting 2h 20min, the test ATR 72 was exposed successfully to 200 micron-diameter water droplets - the most severe conditions envisaged.
ATR is passing the data to the US and French certification authorities in an effort to obtain a rapid approval of the modification.
Source: Flight International
