(Michael) wrote in message . com...
Big John wrote
Probably one rational behind keeping engine warm is that if you go to
idle and glide a long time the engine will cool down. You then slap on
full power and the cylinders are hit with a high temperature all of a
sudden.

That's probably the best rationale I've ever heard for 1500 RPM and
one notch of flaps. We all worry about shock cooling, but letting the
engine cool off and then pouring on the coals is a recipe for shock
heating. I might rethink the way I do this...

Of course idle engine will not duplicate aircraft performance with
dead engine.

No it won't. It's also a great recipe for icing up the carb. For
both those reasons, I usually pull the mixture to idle. That way you
get a true windmilling engine, and since no fuel is evaporating in the
carb there's no risk of ice.

Carb heat should be the first thing applied when the engine
"quits." Carb icing is the most common cause of engine failure, and if
the pilot is a bit slow in pulling it, there won't be any heat left to
remove the ice. As it is, he'll be lucky to regain power. Some folks
aren't aware of decreasing RPM or manifold pressure until things get
real quiet.
Pulling mix to idle cutoff has caused several accidents in
Canada, and it's no longer part of the simulated forced approach.

Dan