During the last SUMO flight of IOP4, we launched with a broken cloud base around 150-200 m. By the end of the flight, about 30 mins later, the fog had rolled in, and drastically reduced visibility. Not only that, but during the final stage of landing, we noticed on the Ground Control Station that the SUMO autopilot was having a harder and harder time maintaining stable altitude, an especially concerning development during the descent process. The pilot took over from the autopilot, and noticed the sluggish response of the aircraft. Once the aircraft was safely, albeit roughly, on the ground, the answer was clear. Massive icing on the edge of the propeller and leading edge of the wings. And the SUMO wasn’t the only UAV to fall victim to icing; OWL‘s quadcopter profile had to be called off at a mere 25 m off the ground. After that, we decided to put IOP4… on ice.
Icing on the propeller of the SUMO at the end of IOP04