Originally Posted by
Clearedtoreenter
Speaking as a fully paid up member of the largely educated, why in the year 2017 do I still need to manage the mixture knob at all?
I don't understand why my fuel injection system isn't at least half as clever as the one on the average current Toyota. I guess I just need to be educated in those black art theories and techniques of 1935.
Just as a matter of interest does anyone know what date the last car had a mixture control other than a choke? I'm guessing 1930.
I agree on your first point, Cleared, but applying automotive-spec systems to an aero engine makes for a dog's breakfast. The Rotax is a good case in point. Something actually worth having is more expensive than everyone is willing to pay for, especially at the certified end of the market.
The advantage Toyota have is that they can amortize the development over not just one engine model, but across their entire range - the production volumes of which has more than a few extra zeros on the end compared to even the entire lifetime of O-360's
And, most cars with carbs needed mixture control, even when they didn't have it, say for when you started driving up mountains. Carbs did tend to disappear around 1986 though, at least here in Aus - only 30 years ago - blink of an eye really.