How To Lean Fuel In Flight for Best Performance (in 1 minute)

1 minute video - a friend ask me about this. This will show how to lean the mixture at altitude (Rich of Peak) for best aircraft engine performance at altitude. Summary, begin (this video was around 2325 to 2350RPM) and continue to lean and observe RPM increase. When you see an RPM decrease, stop leaning, then slightly enrich until you get back to max RPM's (the max RPM was about 2400 to 2450). You'll want to stay Rich of Peak and observe your EGT's. The result is best engine performance a more efficient fuel burn (which will save you money at the pump).

[leavng]

I’m always scared I’m going to pull it out too far!

[neomatrix]

Can you give me some pointers on leaning my current plane. It runs pretty rich. Currently flying F16.

[RAPR]

What does it say in your POH? You should probably follow the advice and those engineers….

[sycabara]

What about in a turboprop engine which has propeller feathering options? Is the procedure still the same?

[FlyMeAirplane]

I'm pretty sure that method gives you the peak cyl pressures... which is exactly where you don't want to run the engine. For an aircraft with a carb, this method is ok because the carb does a terrible job of getting a correct fuel air mixture to each cyl and some cyl will be at peak pressure, some lean, some rich. With a good fuel injection system and engine analyzer this video is flat out wrong tho.

[TheGweedMan]

Helpful but the camera motion was driving me crazy. You have to figure out a way to hold it still and pointed at the dash.

[javierrprailfan]

I was starting to play "IL2-1946"
And I would like to know how would this help for take off from an aircraft carrier with a F4U "WWII aircraft" thank you

[grant]

I’m thinking he meant to say “decrease in RPM’s” not “increase”.

[exoticflorida]

Great advice when you rent an airplane and want to get there slightly faster. If you own it just know you’re putting more stress and heat in the engine for negligible increase in speed. There’s really no reason to run at peak.

[faziolifairmont]

DONT USE THIS METHOD. he puts it at peak, which actually runs your engine the hottest. and is gonna destroy the engine. you have to push it royaly richer, unless you have expensive engine analyzer equipment, that way you can put it precisely. but if you dont have that (and most planes dont), just push it 'much' richer than ths guy.

if you have an EGT (many planes do), you want to lean until the needle is the furthest out. and then you push back in, by 25 degrees (2 dots to the left in a cessna).

[noidea]

At the beginning he says he watches for an increase, but then he talks about a decrease. Terrible explanation.

[berndalmstedt]

That won't work on a constant speed prop engine as every child knows... - so what shall this "knowledge" be worth?