Which statement about wing icing is true?

Which statement about wing icing is true?

• A. Icing reduces lift creation drastically
• B. Icing increases lift
• C. Icing has no effect on lift
• D. Icing improves stall margins

Answer: (A)

Wing icing disrupts the airflow over the wing. Ice makes the surface rough and can alter the wing’s effective shape, so the boundary layer separates earlier as you increase angle of attack. That reduces the lift coefficient at a given airspeed, meaning the wing produces less lift than it would clean. With less lift, you tend to need higher speed or a higher angle of attack to maintain level flight, which also raises stall speed and erodes stall margins. So icing indeed lowers lift and worsens stall characteristics. It doesn’t increase lift, it isn’t lift-neutral, and it doesn’t improve stall margins.

Wing icing disrupts the airflow over the wing. Ice makes the surface rough and can alter the wing’s effective shape, so the boundary layer separates earlier as you increase angle of attack. That reduces the lift coefficient at a given airspeed, meaning the wing produces less lift than it would clean. With less lift, you tend to need higher speed or a higher angle of attack to maintain level flight, which also raises stall speed and erodes stall margins. So icing indeed lowers lift and worsens stall characteristics. It doesn’t increase lift, it isn’t lift-neutral, and it doesn’t improve stall margins.