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Posted for "Lance" <lancen@lancair.com>:

Marv and folks,

Recently a reader wrote in some grossly inaccurate statements regarding TKS
and Lancair International.  The author never bothered to check with anyone
at Lancair, he simply went into "tabloid mode" with his keyboard.  For those
who care to know facts, they are:  The "factory" was at one point working
with TKS and had expended a lot of energy and expense in analysis and early
stage installation studies.  Support from TKS was sketchy at best perhaps
due to the Great Britain mother company and the changing players who
represented them here in the USA but we had no complaints over their efforts
as they happened to evolve. However during that period a potentially
superior approach was emerging and we felt it was hopefully a far better fit
for our weight conscious IV's.  Since that time we have been working very
hard with the developer who, based on the merits of the system, received a
SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research grant from NASA) to develop it
further in conjunction with Lancair. Since that time we have together run
our full scale Lancair IV wing on four separate occasions (about three to
four days each) in the NASA Lewis Ice Tunnel.  Each time, more data was
collected, angles of attach tested, impingement areas adjusted, lift data
recorded, drag data recorded, laminar flow effects recorded and ice pattern
shapes recorded.  This has been a long and hard worked program but it is now
in the final stages of completion based on the last review made in November.
We finally expect to be flight testing the full system on our company IV,
N599L hopefully in January.  The expectation is that we can begin offering
this superior system shortly thereafter.  The plan at this time is to
perform the first few installations at either our facility or at the
developer's facility (Ohio).  This is to insure that everything is installed
as it should be.  The benefits of this system are many.  It will weigh about
1/3 that of TKS.  It will install far easier, it will not require anything
ever again once installed vs. the repeat consumables of TKS that are often
hard to find and a continual and not insignificant cost.  Since it is
operated electrically, there is a double duty added benefit of a safety
electrical backup source and also the power to operate an air-conditioning
system (also in near term final development).  And, it will not cost any
more (quite likely a bit less) than TKS.  Once again the internet displays
one of it's weaknesses - nobody is required to know the facts before
posting.  I hope these "real facts" are helpful to all.
Sincerely,
Lance

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Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.