  We quantify the rapid variations in X-ray brightness ("flares") from the
extremely massive colliding wind binary Eta Carinae seen during the past three
orbital cycles by RXTE. The observed flares tend to be shorter in duration and
more frequent as periastron is approached, although the largest ones tend to be
roughly constant in strength at all phases. Plausible scenarios include (1) the
largest of multi-scale stochastic wind clumps from the LBV component entering
and compressing the hard X-ray emitting wind-wind collision (WWC) zone, (2)
large-scale corotating interacting regions in the LBV wind sweeping across the
WWC zone, or (3) instabilities intrinsic to the WWC zone. The first one appears
to be most consistent with the observations, requiring homologously expanding
clumps as they propagate outward in the LBV wind and a turbulence-like
power-law distribution of clumps, decreasing in number towards larger sizes, as
seen in Wolf-Rayet winds.
