MARQUETTE, MI-- Icing tests on U.S. Army helicopters in the Marquette area will continue through April.
That’s according to officials at the Redstone Test Center in Huntsville, Alabama. A team based at Sawyer International Airport has been flying two modified aircraft in the area since last October. One is a CH-47D Chinook helicopter equipped with a Helicopter Icing Spray System, which creates an icy cloud through which a second helicopter flies. It documents the effects of ice accumulation and shedding.
The spray consists of a quarter-cup of yellow food dye for every 1,700 gallons of water.
The tests support a civilian helicopter program seeking an FAA certification to fly in icy conditions.
Officials say weather conditions in Marquette closely reflect the environment in which the aircraft will conduct its missions.
