Interesting commentary about descents from high altitude at idle and the failure to enrich the mixture causing a loss of power when the throttle is opened.

 

Hmmmmmm.....  Page 3-11 of my 1989 copy of the Cessna Manual of Flight says to "clear" the engine from time to time in an extended low power descent to ensure there is power available should a "change of plans" occur.

 

How many of us taxi with a lean mixture and do the run up still lean to more fully check systems as recommended by John Deakin?  How many have forgotten to go to full rich for take off and the initial power application results in the engine stumbling?  Come on raise your hands out there - Yes, I had to stop typing so I could raise mine and I do see a few hands up out there.  That's ok, you don't have to raise both unless you mean you did it more than once or have been frequently arrested.

 

Was it the mismanagement of the engine after the stumble?

 

What happens to a normally aspirated air cooled horizontally opposed 4-cyl aircraft engine after it spends some time at an idle throttle position with the prop in flat pitch - that is the prop is turning the engine at 2300 to 2500 RPM.  Was the fire extinguished (no air, idle mixture richness)?  Were the plugs hopelessly wet fouled or otherwise loaded up? Should one momentarily try hot start techniques - mixture at idle cutoff and throttle open?  If the plugs were fouled, could a higher ignition voltage overcome such a problem? At such a low power setting (very low MAP), would spark advancement been beneficial in keeping the engine running?

 

Verrrrry Interrrresting.......