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Beaver Carb Heat

PostPosted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 9:51 am
by rafair
My downloaded Beaver has a slider type carb air heat control which cannot be moved.     Equally, selecting button 'H' has no effect.     The carb air runs hot all the time.     Does anyone have any ideas as to how I may rectify this?

Re: Beaver Carb Heat

PostPosted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 11:56 am
by Daube
Well, if your carb air runs hot all the time, then you don't need carb heat, do you ? ;)

To limit the temperature of the carburetors, there are usually several things that you can do:
- reduce the engine RPMs
- reduce the manifold pressure
- open the cowl flaps a little bit more
That should make the carb temp drop :)

Re: Beaver Carb Heat

PostPosted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 1:07 pm
by rafair
Yes you do. Like when you want to cool it down. 
I was aware of the options.     What I wanted to know was how to make the controls work.
I appreciate the response but it doesn't really address that problem.

Re: Beaver Carb Heat

PostPosted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 1:39 pm
by 1olehippy
Which Beaver???

Re: Beaver Carb Heat

PostPosted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 1:51 pm
by rafair
Thank you 1olehippy.      To be honest, I'm not entirely sure.     I think it's the Woodward wheeled version (Sim:Bvr 7W).

Re: Beaver Carb Heat

PostPosted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 2:01 pm
by Romflyer
Well, if your carb air runs hot all the time, then you don't need carb heat, do you ? ;)

To limit the temperature of the carburetors, there are usually several things that you can do:
- reduce the engine RPMs
- reduce the manifold pressure
- open the cowl flaps a little bit more
That should make the carb temp drop :)


sounds like someone needs to do a little research   ;)

maybe google "carb heat" or "carb ice" or " venturi effect in carborators"

Re: Beaver Carb Heat

PostPosted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 5:25 pm
by -Crossfire-
Or maybe search for "the effect of carb heat on the max power produced by the engine" ;)

You want carb heat OFF for takeoff so you can get max power...

Re: Beaver Carb Heat

PostPosted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 12:57 am
by jgf
It may be the gauge itself.  I recall downloading a couple of Beavers (I hear that snickering) with that carb heat gauge;  in one it apparently was just eye candy - it would move but there was no discernable effect; it the other it didn't even move.  Tried the gauge in a couple of other AC, it still didn't work.  Kept one of the aircraft for a while and replaced the heat gauge with one from an older (FS2k? FS2k2?) Beaver, didn't look as nice but it worked.

Re: Beaver Carb Heat

PostPosted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 3:24 am
by Daube
Or maybe search for "the effect of carb heat on the max power produced by the engine" ;)

You want carb heat OFF for takeoff so you can get max power...


Depends the flight conditions.
In fact, if you want max power, then you want the carb temp to be in the green zone.
Normally it's quite easy, even with cold weather, to reach the green zone once applying some thottle.

But when you're flying, it's a different story.  You might reach a point/altitude where the engine power is not enough to maintain a correct carb temp anymore. There, you'll have to activate carb heat.

The author of the topic was complaining about his carb temperature running too hot all the time. I don't think a "carb heat" button will help him in that case :)

Re: Beaver Carb Heat

PostPosted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 3:58 am
by Hagar
Or maybe search for "the effect of carb heat on the max power produced by the engine" ;)

You want carb heat OFF for takeoff so you can get max power...


Depends the flight conditions.
In fact, if you want max power, then you want the carb temp to be in the green zone.
Normally it's quite easy, even with cold weather, to reach the green zone once applying some thottle.

But when you're flying, it's a different story.

Re: Beaver Carb Heat

PostPosted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 5:36 am
by Daube
Does that mean that you can get carburator icing even if the carburator air temperature is above 0

Re: Beaver Carb Heat

PostPosted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 12:29 pm
by Hagar
[quote]Does that mean that you can get carburator icing even if the carburator air temperature is above 0

Re: Beaver Carb Heat

PostPosted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 5:19 pm
by Romflyer
Carb heat just re-directs hot air from the manifold into the carburator air intake, this warm are ensures that no ice forms in the carb......essentually everytime you close the throttle you need to apply carb heat.......and when you open the throttle then you turn off the carb heat.

Next time you are sitting on the ground getting ready for take-off take a look at your RPM and then pull on the carb heat, now watch your RPM drop about 100 RPM that tells you that your carb heat is working.......it's actually to bad that FS doesnt model carb ice, because the use of carb heat is a very important step in the procedure of flying a normally asperated piston motor........nothing spoils a perfectly good approach like your engine coughing and choking on short final when you realise you need a little more RPM to make the piano keys and you got nothing when push on the throttle   :o  .........an essential part of any downwind checklist is "carb heat on"----check  8-).....almost as important as "gear down" ;)

Re: Beaver Carb Heat

PostPosted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 6:23 am
by Daube
I understand in which condition the carb icing can occur, and this is the whole purpose of the carb air temperature gauge, isn't it ? Can carb icing occur when the carb air temperature is in the green zone ?

The carb heat on some planes is just a redirection of the hot air around the exhaust pipes into the carburators, in order to raise the carb air temperature to prevent the formation of ice from venturi effect. To me, that means that as long as your carburator air temperature is in the green zone, then you don't have to fear for carburator icing.

Re: Beaver Carb Heat

PostPosted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:19 am
by Hagar
I think this is getting way off-topic. I'm not sure carb icing is simulated