Engine Overheating Issue

I'm wondering if someone else is able reproduce or having a similar issue.

As the title says I'm having severe heat issues while airborne. The placard in the cockpit says don't operate cowl flaps above 225 IAS, but I'm not able to keep temps from spiking regardless of power settings without opening up the cowl around a quarter open. With the cowl closed even above 250 IAS results in a rapid rise in temps.

I've tried several power settings max continuous 43.5IN 2600RPM down to min cruise 31IN 2150RPM auto-lean which still nets me 250IAS at around 5,000ft MSL.

Any help confirming or letting me know what I'm doing wrong please let me know, thanks!

Thunderbolt Engine Overheating.trk

I literally can't get the CHT below something just over 200° even with the cowl flaps fully opened at any speed. Closing them makes the temp skyrocket yesterday. The only way to reduce that temp is cutting throttle to idle. Even if I fly at just 20" MP and less than 2000 RPM, it's over 200. Looked better in the preview videos. Well, at least the damage isn't modelled yet

OTOH it takes ages to warm up the engine oil...

To add to the overheating issue, I literally can't get the oil pressure down on ramp or warmed up. Seems like temperature modeling of the engine has some work to be done.

Just for record, Auto lean will make engine run hotter, not cooler.

On lean mixture you get more power of the engine, it runs hotter too.

This is why Auto lean is more fuel economy, same fuel -> more power -> more speed -> more range

To add to the overheating issue, I literally can't get the oil pressure down on ramp or warmed up. Seems like temperature modeling of the engine has some work to be done.

So I've sat through and baby sat the 'Bolt for about 15 minutes. At around 10 minutes the oil pressure will start literally climbing off the scale. Then after a few seconds peaked out the needle will drop around 20psi a few seconds later it will drop into the "normal" range.

So I guess hot starts are going to be the order of the day until we get a hot fix or the next update.

^ The same behaviour could be seen on one of Grim Reaper's preview vids last week, so it seems to be some WIP issue that carried over to our release build. We'll have to wait for the first fixes I guess.

I to experienced this last night, low RPM, in cruise range form Manifold pressure. Thank fully the cowl flaps are not taking damage over 225. I would rather blow the cowl flaps than the engine.

It would be nice to see a list or a summary of the known issues and not-yet-implemented features, otherwise it's hard to know what to report :/

In any case, I haven't found that yet, have they posted something like that?

Noticed this my first day flying the plane. Wondering what the heck I was doing wrong because the CHT would just rise off the charts when flying within limits.

I think many engine readings are off right now.

Excessive CHT.

Weird acting Oil pressure

Strange oil tempearture.

And so on.,,

I guess it´s cause we still are in early acces, so let´s wait and see what will happen next.

I think many engine readings are off right now.

Excessive CHT.

Weird acting Oil pressure

Strange oil tempearture.

 

And so on.,,

 

I guess it´s cause we still are in early acces, so let´s wait and see what will happen next.

Agreed, at this point I'm under the assumption that the engine systems are either heavily WIP or nonexistent in regards to cooling/heating.

Oil temp/pressure barely works and does not work correctly

Cylinder head temperature....

Carburetor air temperature doesn't seem to be working either. Except in its most basic form of reading outside air temperature. Air filter and carb heating don't effect the engine at all.

the engine overheat is not implemented yet, running with full throttle, full prop, full turbo, cowl flaps closed, nothing happen, very disappointing :/

check the store page.....

very disappointing :/

Very disappointing? Nope, very EA. Didn't you know the plane isn't finished yet?

Perhaps the "Early Access" tag is not visible enough on the store page, it's an easy mistake for who is not used to it and too enthusiastic about buying the plane.

I noticed that at higher power settings header temp gets lower then in low power settings :P same cowl flaps position.

I noticed that at higher power settings header temp gets lower then in low power settings :P same cowl flaps position.

But that would be normal for the temperature, to get lower in low power settings, no? ;)

^ That's not what he wrote, though :>. Read again.

For the time being, I tend to fly without looking at temps and pressures, because they don't seem to make much sense, neither do they affect engine operation anyway. Not a problem, though - waiting for first batch of fixes, with plenty of other things to learn about this airplane in the meantime.

I noticed that at higher power settings header temp gets lower then in low power settings :P same cowl flaps position.

It depends to an extent, especially on whether your airborne or stationary. IRL I've run 1000 rpm or so to cool the cylinders in other radials as the 600/700 minimum idle wasn't enough, but likewise using higher rpm and the cooling of the prop is overcome by the extra heat being produced by the engine while stationary.

When airborne its a bit of a different story, speed helps more now, RPM helps to a much smaller extent than on the ground and speed is generally you main concern. (Along with cowl flaps and other control available like mixture.)

^ That's not what he wrote, though :>. Read again.

Here's what he wrote, punctuation was missing around "then" and we have to suppose that the first part (I noticed that) refers to the temperature being higher, so what was reported before.

With the punctuation:

I noticed that at higher power settings, header temp gets lower, then, in low power settings

Anyway, just messing around but on purpose: that's why using the correct preposition "than" is recommended to avoid confusion :D