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Probe Heat question


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Posted

Hey,

how important is the Probe Heat switch during flight in warm temperatures?

Should that be on all the time or just in cold temperatures, or when there are iceing conditions?

Posted

IRL, probe heat is only used during icing conditions while aircraft is on the ground. As soon as your are in the air, probe heat comes on regardless of the switch position. Not sure in DCS

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Thank you for you patience.

 

 

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Posted

Warm and moist are often the worst conditions for icing.  SALR is about 2degC per 1000ft, so on an ISA day you are in sub-zero air at only 7,500ft.  Add in some cloud (i.e moisture) and you have ice.

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Posted
4 hours ago, Furiz said:

Hey,

how important is the Probe Heat switch during flight in warm temperatures?

Should that be on all the time or just in cold temperatures, or when there are iceing conditions?

Turn on the probe heat 2 minutes prior to takeoff if icing is possible, if not delay selecting probeheat as long as possible prior to takeoff. The probe heat activates regardless when the aircraft is airborne. It is crutial to activate probe heating with icing conditions because, for example, if the AOA probes freeze into a high-AOA condition the FLCS will think the aircraft is about to stall once you get weight off wheels, it will take control and force the aircraft's nose down in order to prevent the stall. This will, of course, slam our aircraft into the ground and you will not have such a good day afterwards. This happend to two F-16s taking off in formation where both aircraft slammed into the ground just after takeoff.

  • Like 3
Posted

Thnx,

yea I understand what it does and why we need it, just didn't know if it turns on with no WOW regardless of switch position,

so conclusion is with icing conditions on the runway the switch needs to be on 2 min prior to takeoff.

Posted
1 hour ago, AlexCaboose said:

In DCS it definitely does not automatically turn on. I've flown in some extremely cold servers and had all sorts of FLCS issues before realizing my probe heat was off. 

 

Thnx, gonna gave to test it out I guess.

Posted
1 hour ago, Furiz said:

Thnx, gonna gave to test it out I guess.

 

Please let us know how it goes. I'm interested as well :smile:

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  • Solution
Posted

I have set up a mission in Caucasus with -6C temp, winter, snow and clouds, and took it up to 30k without probe heat in "probe heat" position, and I didn't get the probe frozen, flew around for 5 mins maybe more.

Posted
1 hour ago, Furiz said:

I have set up a mission in Caucasus with -6C temp, winter, snow and clouds, and took it up to 30k without probe heat in "probe heat" position, and I didn't get the probe frozen, flew around for 5 mins maybe more.

Flying in clouds is the way to go if you want iceing, so make sure to fly around in them if you want to test it. Note: I have no idea if this is actually modelled or not.

Posted
2 hours ago, Furiz said:

I have set up a mission in Caucasus with -6C temp, winter, snow and clouds, and took it up to 30k without probe heat in "probe heat" position, and I didn't get the probe frozen, flew around for 5 mins maybe more.

It takes longer than 5min. The Tactical DCS Community Training Server used to be very cold. At around 28K, the probe would freeze within 30 minutes, but I don't recall the exact amount of time. It definitely happens though, you'll get very wrong airspeed readings etc.

Posted

I know for sure the A10C2 probe will not function correctly with pitot heat off. I have definitely seen airspeed errors when I forget to turn it on. So it is modeled in DCS itself, weather or not it's on every aircraft is anyone's guess.

Posted

You get clear air pitot freezing in DCS. The F-16 absolutely runs the pitot heat with the switch in off but in certain weather it needs a head start getting hot before the takeoff roll. If you get different freezing results by turning on the switch at AOA and not then that's a bug.

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