Boeing Tests Ice-Tolerant 777X, 737 MAX 10 in Real-World Conditions

Boeing has pushed its 777X and 737 MAX 10 closer to certification after conducting real icing tests on both aircraft. The tests, which took place in naturally occurring icing conditions, aimed to determine how the planes behave when ice builds up on critical aerodynamic surfaces.

The Boeing flight-test teams deliberately searched for clouds containing supercooled water, allowing ice to accumulate on the aircraft while instrumentation recorded the surrounding atmospheric conditions. Special equipment measured factors such as water droplet size and atmospheric conditions to confirm that the clouds provided the required environment for testing.

Pilots assessed the aircraft's handling qualities and checked whether its systems continued to perform as intended after enough ice had formed, which was typically around one to two inches on critical surfaces like wings, horizontal stabilizers, and vertical stabilizers. The testing involved extended flights, with the 777-9 completing an 8.5-hour sortie and the 737-10 conducting a six-hour flight.