Just so we are clear on this, Europa XS's fitted with 912 or 912S's ARE
vulnerable to carb icing and you should take precautions to detect and
eliminate it. It has happened more times than reported in Rotax's I believe
due to the fact that it does not have the symptoms of carb icing as we are
taught to recognize during our training. The proximity of the exhaust pipes
is not enough. That will only serve to heat the carb bowls and the fuel, not
the incoming air, I hope this clears up some of the confusion.
Jim Thursby
Europa Aircraft Company
----- Original Message -----
From: <BRYNALL@aol.com>
Subject: Re: Carb. air ice?
> The Skydrive Carb heater is simply a hot water jacket around the butterfly
> valve of the carb. It keeps the valve hot enough to stop ice forming onto
it.
> Probably the heat conducts far enough down the ventury section to do the
same
> there.
>
> There is certainly no attempt to warm the air, or mixture.
>
> With the relatively close proximity of the rear exhaust pipes to the
carbs, I
> would question the need for additional heating of the carb metalwork. The
> radiant heat in that enclosed environment must make it quite hot in that
> area. So hot, that we are advised to fix heat insulation to any fuel pipes
> right up to the carbs.
>
> Could this be why the Europa does not ice up? Would it be a good idea to
fix
> a thermocouple to the carbs to find out. Any volunteers? Mine is not
flying
> at the moment.
>
> Regards.....Bryan Allsop
>
> PS Incidentally. Has anyone experienced dimensional changes in the exhaust
> pipes in the first 50 hours? My silencer has dropped between services, and
I
> cannot get it back to the original relationship with the engine.
>
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