Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

The AVSIM Community

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

Cooling the BS Bonanza

Featured Replies

I have an engine health issue with the BlackSquare Analog Bonanza.  It seems that with every landing my engine health drops 2%.
1% is removed during rollout/taxi and the other when I shut down the engine.

My guess is that I let the engine cool down too fast but I am unsure how to prevent that.
During descent I set the mixture to full rich and try to gently pull down the throttle (to about 8 gal/h fuel flow.
I can use more throttle after landing but then I have to ride the brakes.

Anyone know how it is done?

Flightsim rig:
CPU: AMD 5900x  | Mobo: MSI X570 MEG Unify | RAM: 32GB G.Skill Trident Z Neo | GPU: Gigabyte RTX 3090 | Storage: M.2 (2 & 4 TB) | PSU: Corsair RM850x | Case: Fractal Define 7 XL
Display: Acer Predator x34 3440x1440 | Speakers: Logitech Z906 
Controllers: Fulcrum One Yoke | MFG Crosswind v2 pedals | Honeycomb Bravo Quadrant |Thrustmaster TCA Quadrant | Stream Deck XL & Plus | TrackIR 5 Tobii eye tracking

With the turbocharger normally it's not more than 2" per 2 minutes decrease.

Not sure if it being a turbo normalized affects that.

Also you could try cowl flaps closed to keep things warmer.

Edited by ryanbatc

My Liveries | FAA ZMP | PPL ASEL |
| Windows 11 | MSI Z690 Tomahawk | 12700K 4.7GHz | MSI RTX 4080 | 64GB 6000 MHz DDR5 | 500GB Samsung 860 Evo SSD | 2x 2TB Samsung 970 Evo M.2 | EVGA 850W Gold | Corsair 5000X | HP G2 (VR) / LG 27" 1440p |

 

 

  • Author
11 minutes ago, ryanbatc said:

With the turbocharger normally it's not more than 2" per 2 minutes decrease.

Not sure if it being a turbo normalized affects that.

Also you could try cowl flaps closed to keep things warmer.

Thanks. I already closed the cowl flaps but I probably decrease the throttle too fast. Will try to close the throttle slower and see whether that helps.

Flightsim rig:
CPU: AMD 5900x  | Mobo: MSI X570 MEG Unify | RAM: 32GB G.Skill Trident Z Neo | GPU: Gigabyte RTX 3090 | Storage: M.2 (2 & 4 TB) | PSU: Corsair RM850x | Case: Fractal Define 7 XL
Display: Acer Predator x34 3440x1440 | Speakers: Logitech Z906 
Controllers: Fulcrum One Yoke | MFG Crosswind v2 pedals | Honeycomb Bravo Quadrant |Thrustmaster TCA Quadrant | Stream Deck XL & Plus | TrackIR 5 Tobii eye tracking

1 hour ago, orchestra_nl said:

Thanks. I already closed the cowl flaps but I probably decrease the throttle too fast. Will try to close the throttle slower and see whether that helps.

Hehe yeah.  Unfortunately I don't enable the failures usually because is just want a nice flight haha (rarely even have time to fly these days).  But I'd bet money that I'd shock cool all my engines in flightsim.

My Liveries | FAA ZMP | PPL ASEL |
| Windows 11 | MSI Z690 Tomahawk | 12700K 4.7GHz | MSI RTX 4080 | 64GB 6000 MHz DDR5 | 500GB Samsung 860 Evo SSD | 2x 2TB Samsung 970 Evo M.2 | EVGA 850W Gold | Corsair 5000X | HP G2 (VR) / LG 27" 1440p |

 

 

My juvenile humor: I think it a shame that Black Square does not make a steam gauge Apache Helicopter.

 

 

5800X3D, RTX4070, 600 Watt, one or two 1440p 32" screens, 64 GB RAM, 4 TB  PCle 3 NVMe, Warthog throttle, VKB NXT EVO stick, Honeycomb Alpha yoke, CH quad, 3 Logitech panels, 2 StreamDecks, Desktop Aviator Trim Panel. Crystal Light VR.

 

6 hours ago, orchestra_nl said:

Thanks. I already closed the cowl flaps but I probably decrease the throttle too fast

I have no experience with real life aviation turbo's but if an automotive sense were applied to aviation I would doubt the turbos would even be in play during descent and approach.  Primarily on TO, climb, and hi-speed cruise. Does cold shocking in aviation engines not occur with throttling back too quickly from high speed cruise? 

Those with actual aviation turbo experience?  Am I out to lunch on that?

Edited by fppilot

Frank Patton
Corsair 5000D Airflow Case; MSI B650 Tomahawk MOB; Ryzen 7 7800 X3D CPU; ASUS RTX 4080 Super; 
NZXT 360mm liquid cooler; Corsair Vengeance 64GB DDR5 4800 MHz RAM; RMX850X Gold PSU;; ASUS VG289 4K 27" Display; Honeycomb Alpha & Bravo, Crosswind 3's w/dampener.  
Former USAF meteorologist & ground weather school instructor. AOPA Member #07379126
                       
"I will never put my name on a product that does not have in it the best that is in me." - John Deere

Shock cooling airplane engines is something of an "old wives tale", since you'll see people talking about it, but operations that should be going through cylinders like crazy if shock cooling was common (flight schools and skydiving operations) largely don't have any issues related to it. 

On engines with reduction gears, rapidly reducing the power (or reducing it too far) can result in a situation where the propeller is driving the gearbox, which isn't good for the engines, but damage from thermal shock after a power reduction isn't common.

https://www.avweb.com/ownership/shock-cooling-time-to-kill-the-myth/

  • Author
3 hours ago, ndts said:

Shock cooling airplane engines is something of an "old wives tale", since you'll see people talking about it, but operations that should be going through cylinders like crazy if shock cooling was common (flight schools and skydiving operations) largely don't have any issues related to it. 

On engines with reduction gears, rapidly reducing the power (or reducing it too far) can result in a situation where the propeller is driving the gearbox, which isn't good for the engines, but damage from thermal shock after a power reduction isn't common.

https://www.avweb.com/ownership/shock-cooling-time-to-kill-the-myth/

I could be mistaken but IIRC from the Justflight video they had implemented shock cooling as a failure option .. Might be wrong though, will have to watch their anouncement video again.
If it is not shock cooling I wonder what could take away 2% on every landing. Now, if it was on takeoff I could name one or two causes for increased wear and tear but landing?
Perhaps I will ask on the JF forums about this.

Edit, just found this on their forums:

Quote

here is a list of all the conditions that can reduce the health of the engine:

(A:ENG MANIFOLD PRESSURE:1, inhg) > 32
(A:PROP RPM:1, rpm) > 2750
(A:RECIP ENG CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE:1, CELSIUS) > 230
(A:ENG EXHAUST GAS TEMPERATURE:1, CELSIUS) > 870
(A:ENG OIL TEMPERATURE:1, CELSIUS) > 110
(L:var_ShockCooling_1, FAHRENHEIT) > 70

The first 2 are definitely NOT the case but I will have to watch the others. ShockCooling seems indeed to be a factor.

Edited by orchestra_nl
JF forums

Flightsim rig:
CPU: AMD 5900x  | Mobo: MSI X570 MEG Unify | RAM: 32GB G.Skill Trident Z Neo | GPU: Gigabyte RTX 3090 | Storage: M.2 (2 & 4 TB) | PSU: Corsair RM850x | Case: Fractal Define 7 XL
Display: Acer Predator x34 3440x1440 | Speakers: Logitech Z906 
Controllers: Fulcrum One Yoke | MFG Crosswind v2 pedals | Honeycomb Bravo Quadrant |Thrustmaster TCA Quadrant | Stream Deck XL & Plus | TrackIR 5 Tobii eye tracking

 

31 minutes ago, orchestra_nl said:

ShockCooling seems indeed to be a factor.

After taking a look at the coding, it would be easy to disable this feature.

Edited by hs118

My MSFS 2020 repaints: Flightsim.to - Profile of HStreet

Working on MSFS 2024 versions.

The Shock Cooling argument is reminiscent of discussions about static protection when handling RAM.  Most self taught home PC builders are convinced it  is a thing of the past but the problem is the sort of damage static allegedly does only shows up intermittently, underload or after a longish time rather than immediately so the tendency is to blame the RAM when faults do occur, not installation incompetence.

With regard to Shock Cooling:

- if shock cooling is a thing at all, it only happens at very high CHT otherwise simply shutting down the engine on the ground after a flight would cause it

- piston engines like Continental and Lycoming never seem to get hot enough for shock cooling though Lycoming themselves definitely say it can be a thing - https://www.lycoming.com/content/how-avoid-sudden-cooling-your-engine

- logically it is more likely to be an issue on big radials or potentially in a turbocharger but that is conjecture

That said, if your POH  on your $100,000 plus real-life  airplane says "avoid shock cooling" I would listen to that rather than some anecdotal story from the internet about it being a myth

Edited by Glenn Fitzpatrick

1 hour ago, Glenn Fitzpatrick said:

With regard to Shock Cooling:

- if shock cooling is a thing at all, it only happens at very high CHT otherwise simply shutting down the engine on the ground after a flight would cause it

The coding in the BS Bonanza could be changed to reflect higher temperatures required for damage based on what I am seeing.

My MSFS 2020 repaints: Flightsim.to - Profile of HStreet

Working on MSFS 2024 versions.

3 hours ago, orchestra_nl said:

(L:var_ShockCooling_1, FAHRENHEIT) > 70

So anyone know what it is that is >70?  I read the variable name, L:var_ShockCooling_1, and I see the value range, >70.   But from the left seat, flying the BS Bonanza, what is it that is under my control that I can observe and avoid during the period from engine start to engine shut down?  That is the key question about their implementation of shock cooling.  I would guess it references a temperature drop of >70°F, but of what observable temp indication  and over what period of time?

Edited by fppilot

Frank Patton
Corsair 5000D Airflow Case; MSI B650 Tomahawk MOB; Ryzen 7 7800 X3D CPU; ASUS RTX 4080 Super; 
NZXT 360mm liquid cooler; Corsair Vengeance 64GB DDR5 4800 MHz RAM; RMX850X Gold PSU;; ASUS VG289 4K 27" Display; Honeycomb Alpha & Bravo, Crosswind 3's w/dampener.  
Former USAF meteorologist & ground weather school instructor. AOPA Member #07379126
                       
"I will never put my name on a product that does not have in it the best that is in me." - John Deere

59 minutes ago, fppilot said:

So anyone know what it is that is >70?  I read the variable name, L:var_ShockCooling_1, and I see the value range, >70.   But from the left seat, flying the BS Bonanza, what is it that is under my control that I can observe and avoid during the period from engine start to engine shut down?  That is the key question about their implementation of shock cooling.  I would guess it references a temperature drop of >70°F, but of what observable temp indication  and over what period of time?

My guess, after looking at the code, is that the value of L:ShockCooling_1 is being calculated in the model itself. I found no references that calculate the variable in the xml code. The only code reference is a line checking the value against the constant "70" and then adjusting the failure threshold if needed.

This whole check of the variable can be commented out, deleted or the constant (70) changed/increased. 

Someone with more experience and knowledge regarding examination of the model itself may be able to find more info.

Edited by hs118

My MSFS 2020 repaints: Flightsim.to - Profile of HStreet

Working on MSFS 2024 versions.

  • Author
2 minutes ago, hs118 said:

My guess, after looking at the code, is that the value of L:ShookCooling_1 is being calculated in the model itself. I found no references that calculate the variable in the xml code. The only code reference is a line checking the value against the constant "70" and then adjusting the failure threshold if needed.

This whole check of the variable can be commented out, deleted or the constant (70) changed/increased. 

Someone with more experience and knowledge regarding examination of the model itself may be able to find more info, 

I browsed the manual but could not find a reference to this. I would think anything that can lead to failures is worth a mention.
In the meantime I found This document about shock cooling/heating. The article is very interesting and specifically mentions the Beech Bonanza

There were a few surprises in it: one is that full power at takeoff is better than limited power because the extra fuel flow helps cool the engine.
Another was that descending with the cowl flaps still open is not a good idea. I might have done that on a few occasions.

Flightsim rig:
CPU: AMD 5900x  | Mobo: MSI X570 MEG Unify | RAM: 32GB G.Skill Trident Z Neo | GPU: Gigabyte RTX 3090 | Storage: M.2 (2 & 4 TB) | PSU: Corsair RM850x | Case: Fractal Define 7 XL
Display: Acer Predator x34 3440x1440 | Speakers: Logitech Z906 
Controllers: Fulcrum One Yoke | MFG Crosswind v2 pedals | Honeycomb Bravo Quadrant |Thrustmaster TCA Quadrant | Stream Deck XL & Plus | TrackIR 5 Tobii eye tracking

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.