CAV Ice Protection will begin retrofits of Cessna 208B Caravans in early April. New production Caravans began receiving TKS Ice Protection System upgrades in 2008 when Cessna made the switch from pneumatic boots to the TKS Ice Protection System designed and manufactured by CAV Ice Protection. The retrofits in Salina, KS will bring the existing fleet up to current ice protection standards.
“Caravan operators need safety and dispatch reliability. TKS provides both,” explained Kevin Hawley, president of CAV Ice Protection. “The TKS system on the Cessna Caravan has set a new, much higher standard for ice protection. It’s easy for an already burdened flight crew to use and is the only ice protection system that provides runback ice protection aft of the leading edges.”
The runback protection referred to is the product of the TKS Ice Protection System’s unique design. The TKS system provides ice protection by pumping TKS fluid, a freezing point depressant liquid, from thousands of laser-drilled microscopic holes — approximately 800 per square inch — in titanium panels on the leading edges of the aircraft’s wings, struts, horizontal stabilizers and vertical stabilizer. TKS fluid then streams along both the bottom and top of the airframe until it is carried off the trail edge.
The TKS Ice Protection System for the Cessna 208B holds 20.8 US Gallons of fluid which provides a maximum endurance of 3 hours, 25 minutes. The system has three modes of operation (Normal, High and Maximum) and also features a separate on-demand pump dedicated to clearing the windshield. Standby systems provide an added layer of protection as well.
Operators of Cessna Caravans other than the 208B model are not without their own TKS Ice Protection System option. “If it’s a Cessna Caravan, there’s a very good probability we can provide a TKS system for it,” Hawley said. “CAV Ice Protection has delivered TKS systems for over 6,000 aircraft — from single engine pistons, like the Cirrus SR22, to business jets and even UAS for security and defense.”
Where to See TKS
CAV Ice Protection will exhibit a TKS-equipped Cessna 208B at Sun ‘n Fun 2010 in Lakeland, FL. The show runs April 13-18 and CAV Ice Protection will occupy site MD-1 in the Manufacturers outdoor exhibit area. The company will also exhibit at the Military Air Assests Exhibition & Conference from March 29-April 1 in Jacksonville, FL at Booth 812; and AERO Friedrichshafen in Friedrichshafen, Germany from April 8-11, displaying a TKS-equipped T182T inside Hall A3.
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