I think the engine can't model engine damage they way it happens in real life. I think it can model engine damage as if it were battle damage using a variable counter for the percentage the maximum manifold pressure is being exceeded and the time being done so. This would simplify things a lot.
The problem with engine knock is that the "pinging" sound can be heard from the engine of a car, it cannot be heard inside an aircraft. The planes with a CHT gauge can have a clue, because engine knock increases CHT sharply, which leads to more engine knock and at the end pre-ignition, which destroys the engine within seconds. During engine knock the engine starts to sound increasingly rough, adapting the sound engine to incorporate that, is a challenge and probably will not be done. So the overheating message combined with the manifold pressure should give the pilot it's clues what is happening, and that should be enough (unless a HUD warning is an option).
I also understand now that adjusting mixture to prevent these problems is a complex task as well, it can prevent engine knock but can also increase the risk. Probably beyond the scope of what is possible (and probably will meet a lot of resistance from our community), not everyone is interested in engines as I am.
So TD, what do you think? As an optional switch I mean. Has this already been done in some form or would it be nice to have this included in the future?
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