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Pilots warned of carburettor icing risk


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Flying down Sydney way with the old widow maker the Robin 440 two stroke on a sunny cold morning, many, many years ago, it suddenly stopped - landed ok - then squeezed the air filters, a lot of water came out of those sponge filters. Fired up straight away, no problems occurred again after waiting a couple of hours to get warmer and hope for the best back then.

 

Brought that icing problem home fast in real life.

 

 

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Yep, been there, done that. To make things more interesting, I found I had a flat battery as well so had Buckly's chance of restarting the engine. A Mayday call followed by sweat and heavy breathing as I JUST cleared the airfield fence for a successful landing. This was on a 'perfect flying' day with just a few clouds to break the monotony of clear blue shies. Had no idea that carbi heat would be required.

 

 

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On the subject of carb ice, iv had it a few times, on different units, but always use heat now.

 

Cant affort to turn it off coz if i get ice, iv no time for activating a heater then waiting for it to clear at 100' or less.

 

Used to run the skydrive heaters on the 912, never had any ice in 1200 hours of all kinds of air.

 

Just wundern, dose anyone here use the 912 rotax induction manifold?

 

I dout ill need a heater with this gadget coz its down wind of the barrels and is always warm.

 

Any thoughts?

 

 

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Here is a good story.

 

While working at Shute Harbour Airport we had a young pilot that was flying for the jumpers at Hamilton Island and their skydive crew over for a day of jumping on the mainland. During the afternoon after jumping was done we were sitting around talking flying and jumping as one does and the subject of carby icing came up. Young gun found it hard to believe it could be a serious problem in the tropics. Both myself and our pilot, who had had a couple partial power failures due to icing, went into great detail to explain the hows and whys. Anyway end of day the Hamo team load up and head back to the Island and decide to jump in from 4 grand. After they hop out pilot heads down lines up and goes to add a bit of power and got nothing, carby heat was off when they pulled the aircraft out of the water about half mile from the runway. Conditions were perfect for carby ice.

 

 

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Here is a good story.While working at Shute Harbour Airport we had a young pilot that was flying for the jumpers at Hamilton Island and their skydive crew over for a day of jumping on the mainland. During the afternoon after jumping was done we were sitting around talking flying and jumping as one does and the subject of carby icing came up. Young gun found it hard to believe it could be a serious problem in the tropics. Both myself and our pilot, who had had a couple partial power failures due to icing, went into great detail to explain the hows and whys. Anyway end of day the Hamo team load up and head back to the Island and decide to jump in from 4 grand. After they hop out pilot heads down lines up and goes to add a bit of power and got nothing, carby heat was off when they pulled the aircraft out of the water about half mile from the runway. Conditions were perfect for carby ice.

Ozzie

Would that be the one where the pilot was found to not have a current BFR thus no insurance? Or is this a different incident?

 

 

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Not sure, i did not hear that. They had several incidents over there. It all caught up to him a little later down at i think it was Whitsunday Airpark when he beat up into power lines and crashed in a ball of flame in the dam.

 

 

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Tropical Qld in summer is the most likely time to get carbie ice in my opinion. The risk in winter is negligible there.

 

I have had carbie ice with a 503 Rotax and put it down in the paddock next to my home, called Eagle Farm, but not the one in Brisbane. That didn't have heat available. Ive had many cases of carbie ice, mainly in 150 or 172 Cessnas. Never had it with the Jab engine in the Corby or the Lycoming in the RV, but I am always ready for it.

 

 

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Sounds like the one UL, alu tube with carb ports and free air and heated air inlets with butterflies.

 

Just wundered if its needed to duct the heated air wen the free air is already heated by the warm alu body?

 

For my experiance with making heaters on 2strokes, 912s and even soobs, it dont take much heat to prevent ice.

 

Most of you FWers have your 900 series rotaxs compleatly coweled, so its already sucking heated air.

 

 

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