A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED PLT; FLYING A CUB AT 83R; WAS TAKING OFF WHEN CARB ICE BUILT UP; CAUSING THE ENG TO QUIT. THE RPTR MADE AN OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG.

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A NEIGHBOR REQUESTED I FLY HIS CUB AS HE HAD HAD SOME SURGERY AND THE PLANE HADN'T BEEN USED FOR 3-4 WKS. NORMAL PREFLT COMPLETED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. START-UP; TAXI AND TKOF WERE NORMAL. APPROX 150 FT UP AND 1/4 MI PAST S END OF OUR GRASS STRIP; I REDUCED PWR VERY SLIGHTLY. 1 OR 2 SECONDS LATER; THE ENG SPOOLED DOWN AND QUIT. I STARTED A R TURN BACK TOWARDS RWY; CHKED MAGNETOS ON BOTH AND FUEL STILL ON; WHICH BOTH ITEMS WERE. APPROX 90 DEGS TO RWY I DECIDED THERE WAS NO WAY I WOULD MAKE IT BACK; SO I CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD AND LANDED IN AN OPEN FIELD; WHICH; ALTHOUGH MUDDY FROM RECENT RAIN; WAS FIRM ENOUGH FOR A CUB. NO DAMAGE TO ME; PROPERTY; OR THE PLANE. ALL OF THIS OCCURRED WITHIN SIGHT AND SOUND OF OUR AIRPARK. SEVERAL NEIGHBORS ARRIVED PROMPTLY; INCLUDING A MECH WHO DOES THE MAINT FOR THE OWNER. HE CHKED THE PLANE; ESPECIALLY THE FUEL DRAIN; AND FOUND NO OBVIOUS PROB. TEMP WAS ABOUT 70 DEGS WITH MODERATE HUMIDITY. THERE WAS A FAIR AMOUNT OF CONDENSATION ON THE CARB AND HE SUSPECTED IT WAS A CARB ICE SIT. ENG RESTARTED ON FIRST ATTEMPT AND RUN AT VARIOUS PWR SETTINGS FOR SEVERAL MINS. ALL SEEMED OK SO I TOOK OFF AND LANDED IMMEDIATELY ON OUR STRIP WITH NO PROB. AI LATER PULLED THE CARB BOWL AND FUEL SCREEN; AND FOUND NO SOLID CONTAMINANTS. WE CONCLUDE IT WAS INDEED A CARB ICE INCIDENT. I HAD ALWAYS ASSOCIATED CARB ICE WITH REDUCED PWR SETTINGS; AS IN LNDG; BUT WILL CERTAINLY BE MORE AWARE OF THE POSSIBILITY AT OTHER STAGES OF A FLT FROM NOW ON.