Icing tests and Aerodynamic Freeze of the E190-E2

Embraer has been conducting tests to validate how the E190-E2 handles with extreme ice accretions.
The most recent tests involved attaching simulated ice shapes to critical surfaces of the aircraft – wing leading edge, horizontal and vertical stabilizers. Data collected during these were used to clear the aircraft for the upcoming tests in natural icing conditions.
Simulated ice is also an important milestone, marking the end of the development flight tests – or the aerodynamic freezing phase, as it is called – after which the airplane is ready to start the major certification flight tests. Development flight tests were used by the engineering team in order to:
– calibrate the aerodynamic modeling
– validate the handling qualities in flight and on ground
– assess aircraft characteristics in icing conditions
– fine-tune the control laws and flight envelope protection functions
– optimize the overall aircraft configuration for maximum performance