Originally Posted by
pitchtrim
Last time I checked if you take wings off the fuselage, it doesn't create lift and falls like a rock. Nor is the fuselage heated to prevent ice buildup, yet airplanes are flying around just fine in ice. How many years has the mighty 200 been flying without full type 4? Suddenly we need to create heavy work load in horrible weather conditions, destroy a bunch of apu's after they injest fluid, and pop everyone's ear drums in the process.
Aircraft are tested for flight into known icing, not taxing into known icing. Snow and ice can build up on the top of a fuselage when the aircraft is on the ground, but a fuselage will not pick up that much ice when the aircraft is in flight. If you really think wings are the only things that matter aerodynamically, then I guess aircraft designers should just stop wind tunnel testing the entire airplane and just worry about the wings. Also, the weight of ice is another factor.
People working the anti-ice guns are trained not to spray APU intakes and our job is not to worry about the life of an APU. And ear drums are not a factor either. ERJ have been doing unpressurized departures for years. If you wait to turn the packs on until 10,000 feet, then that will be an issue, but turning them on just after takeoff really isn't that different than turning them on after closing the cabin door.