Please add an axis for carb heat control. Carb heat in a real aircraft is often a pull-type control, and we should be able to map this to an axis on a controller, such as the Honeycomb Bravo.
I have the carb heat control connected to one of the engine levers on my Honeycomb Bravo in the Cessna 152. I use Spad.next to configure it that way.
Yes please implement a Carb Heat Axis control. With the Tecnam P2006T now out, my HC Bravo is perfectly setup for this except I cannot map the Carb Heat. Didnāt really want to buy another piece of middleware to make what should be available out of the box.
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Throwing in another vote requesting this.
Iād also really like this to be added, a lot of peripherals such as the Saitek X52 have axis sliders that would be perfect for a Carb Heat axis.
I donāt see why an axis for carb heat would be an improvement.
Carb heat in real life is an either on or off control. No one recommends an intermediate setting when using carb heat.
A partial use of carb heat can cause ice to melt and reform further down in the carb throat. BAD IDEA.
Either ON or OFF is the way to use carb heat. For the sim this favors a toggle function either on the keyboard or tied to a controller switch.
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From the DC-6 POH (my emphasis):
- CARBURETOR HEAT
Carburetor icing is apt to occur when the ambient air is highly humid, or when the carburetor air temperature is between-5Ā°C (23Ā°F) and 15Ā°C (59Ā°F). To prevent the formation of ice, carburetor air temperature should be kept above 15Ā°C (59Ā°F) and below 40Ā°C (104Ā°F) (detonation limit). A drop in manifold pressure is an indication of carburetor icing.
During icing conditions, where carburetor heat is used, apply only enough heat to prevent the formation of ice, and apply it continuously rather than in short applications. The amount of heat available is proportional to the power output of the engine; reduction of power in a descent is at the expense of avail-
able carburetor heat.Under extremely cold ambient air conditions, applications of carburetor heat may cause the formation of ice in the induction system as a result of bringing the carburetor intake temperature upward within the icing range.
Do not take-off or land with carburetor heat applied.
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From a Lycoming service bulletin:
So I guess it depends what youāre flying, but for everything Iām in, itās always full on or full off. I bound Set Carb Heat On/Off (I think itās called Anti Icing in the controls menu) to one of the levers on my Honeycomb Bravo. Even though itās functionally an off switch like a button, and not an axis, it does exactly the same thing I would be doing in real life: either pulling it full on or full off with a similar motion, so it works great.
This goes a bit into the DC6 instead of the general topic but carb heat is not there to prevent carb icing. You use it if you notice rhat ice is being built. As long as your BMEP/MP doesnāt decrease unreasonably you leave it where it is. You use hot exhaust gases for the carb heater and thatās nothing you want to do without the need.
But then yes, in the DC6 you use only as much as you need. In a C172 for example you just pull it out to the stop however.
In my 182, I have a carb temp gauge, and use it to dial in required carb heat. One only uses as much carb heat as needed to prevent icing, because using any carb heat robs the engine of power, so minimizing this loss while providing enough carb heat is the goal.
Regardless, even when a simming a 172, the point for real life pilots is to replicate as much as possible the muscle memory required for every procedure when flying the airplane irl. That is the value I get from a sim - being able to practice procedures (and failures). Having carb heat on an axis would clearly add to the realism and value for me.
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When discussing carb heat it might be helpful to differentiate between prevention and correction.
For example, my answer to the original post assumed correction which is the normal case. Conversely the comment concerning the DC6 addresses prevention.
I could have been more specific as I read the question asked as addressing correction.
It is important to know that once icing has been determined as presentā¦NEVER apply partial carb heat.
The DC6 manual addresses icing āmanagementā or action taken to PREVENT Carb Ice.
Important distinction !!!
Dudley Henriques