Carburetor Ice Lab
Explore a working carburetor model and see how weather, throttle, mixture, and carb heat interact.
See what happens inside the carburetor
Pilot Rise’s free Carburetor Ice Lab makes the system visible. Follow air and fuel through a model carburetor, explore the airbox and carb heat path, and adjust the controls to see how the model responds. Click components for details and closer views.
- Practice throttle, carb heat, and mixture
- Explore the carburetor and airbox
- Change weather and icing potential
Change one thing. Watch the result.
Use the model to test a prediction, then explain what changed.
- Set the weather
Change outside air temperature and dew point or humidity. Compare the icing potential chart and temperatures inside the carburetor.
- Try the engine controls
Adjust throttle and mixture separately. Watch the throttle butterfly, fuel flow, and RPM indication respond.
- Explore carb heat
Compare the airbox path with carb heat off and on. Watch the model’s temperatures and accumulated ice, then open a component to inspect it more closely.
Watch the system in motion
Airflow, fuel, the throttle butterfly, and the float are easier to connect when you can see them moving. Play the short preview, then open the lab to change the controls yourself.
Questions about Carburetor Ice Lab
Is the Carburetor Ice Lab free?
Yes. Pilot Rise provides the public Carburetor Ice Lab free for independent practice and instructor demonstrations.
What can I change in the simulator?
Adjust throttle, carburetor heat, mixture, and weather conditions. Explore the carburetor and airbox models, click components for details, and compare labels, temperatures, accumulated ice, RPM, and the icing potential chart.
Can carburetor ice form above freezing?
Yes. Fuel vaporization and the pressure drop in the venturi cool the air inside a carburetor, so ice can form even when outside air is above freezing. Use the lab to explore the relationship between weather and internal temperatures.
Does the lab show procedures for my aircraft?
The lab illustrates a model system. Use your aircraft’s approved flight manual or pilot’s operating handbook and your instructor’s guidance for aircraft-specific carb heat and mixture procedures.
Sources and further reading: FAA: Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Aircraft Systems
Put it into practice
Open Carburetor Ice Lab to try it for yourself, or explore the rest of the tools we build at Pilot Rise.
