TKS® Ice Protection

The market’s highest performing in-flight ice protection system (IPS), TKS® systems can be designed for both inadvertent (no-hazard) and Flight Into Known Icing (FIKI) conditions. It is certified for installation in over 100 different aircraft model variants and available for integration on a wide range of general aviation aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle models in factory, or as retrofit.

The TKS® system has been designed to protect all leading edges of an aircraft, including wings, stabilizers and struts, as well as the propeller and windshield.

“I know that I am going to encounter icing, especially during the winters in Minnesota.

TKS® was a factory-installed option for this aircraft and I wanted to have an ice protection system on the airplane that would allow me to safely descend or ascend through icing conditions so that I do not have to be worried that my airplane will ice up and I find myself in a very dangerous situation.

The TKS® system is important to me because I know that I can go into clouds and have a mechanism by which my aircraft can be kept clean of ice and therefore continue to have well-functioning aerodynamic properties.”

Dean Hanson, Pilot & Cessna TTx Owner - Minnesota

TKS® Benefits

Unmatched Anti-ice and de-ice capability

Unmatched Anti-ice and de-ice capability

with clean exit performance.

Total airframe ice protection

Total airframe ice protection

across all aerodynamic surfaces.

Only IPS that can feasibly provide full ice protection, across the full appendix O envelope

Only IPS that can feasibly provide full ice protection, across the full appendix O envelope

(FAR 23. 1419 Appx. O).

Optimal aircraft performance,

Optimal aircraft performance,

minimising power use and preserving the natural laminar flow of the airfoils without degrading performance.

Exceptionally reliable,

Exceptionally reliable,

with FIKI certification available.

Easy to use,

Easy to use,

with three operational modes.

OEM Services

Seamlessly integrated with your aircraft, our optimal ice protection system design preserves aerodynamic performance and premium appearance.

OEM Services

Retrofit Kits

Fit your aircraft with the most reliable ice protection system on the market.

Retrofit Kits

How it works

TKS® guards the surface of your aircraft from freezing by evenly dispersing a freezing point depressant solution across the aircraft frame, preventing the accretion of ice.

The system is designed to be anti-icing but is also capable of de-icing, as TKS® fluid chemically breaks the bond between ice and frame, allowing the system to shed any accumulated ice and prevent any ice build-up thereafter.

Diamond DA42 flying over alpine scenery
1 Using TKS® fluid, the system depresses the freezing point of moisture encountered in flight to at least the ambient temperature or down to -76°F (-60°C).
TKS Ice Protection System panel with fluid exuding
2 Dispersed from laser-drilled titanium panels, which are mounted on the leading edges of the aircraft, the TKS® fluid mixes with supercooled water in the clouds and aerodynamic forces carry the mixture away without it adhering to the frame.
Kodiak 18A in flight with navy and red paintwork
3 Retaining the original aerodynamic performance of the aircraft, factory fitted panels can be built into the original definition of the leading edge shape or retrofit to a leading edge as an overshoe.
Cessna 182 Wing Strut with TKS
4 The lightweight titanium panels can be mounted on wings, wing struts, horizontal and vertical stabilizers and fixed landing gear. Whilst a traditional slinger ring provides ice protection on the propeller and the windshield is protected by a spraybar.
Diamond DA42 angled image of leading edge with TKS after flight showing it clear of ice
5 This protects both the leading edge and trailing chord of the wing as fluid flows back from the leading edge under and over the entire chord of the airfoil.
Close up of Mooney Windshield Pump
6 For inadvertent systems, one metering pump is provided. FIKI-certified systems possess two metering pumps for redundancy, which can be individually selected. Two on-demand pumps for windshield protection, which can be manually selected by the pilot and run individually or collectively based on the operational selection, are also available for FIKI.

Vital Statistics

~37 – 43lb

without fluid

System Weight

55 to 70lb

Eliminated in non-icing seasons by draining the fluid tank.

Fluid Weight

Minimum 1.5hrs

(3hrs in Normal Mode)

De-ice Endurance

1.5-2amps

28 volt pump draws 1.5-2amps (40-55 watts) power.

System Power Consumption

Cockpit Control Panel Operation

  • metering and windshield pumps
  • fluid quantity monitoring
  • operational state

Corrosion Resistance

TKS® fluid has cleaning properties that does not harm paint finish and flushes debris from the panel holes. Unlike ground de-icing fluids which can sometimes corrode aircraft panels, TKS® fluid is non-corrosive.

*based on average Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft models

Fluid Schematic

TKS Fluid Schematic
Two barrels of TKS fluid of different sizes

Buy TKS® Fluid

Restock your TKS® fluid supply and fly through winter. TKS 406B is the preferred ice protection fluid for general aviation.

Benefits of TKS® 406B in-flight ice protection fluid

  • Complies to DTD 406-B specifications
  • Freezing point below -76°F
  • Filtered below 1 micron
  • Fully biodegradable
Buy TKS® Fluid