Piston pilots: How do you lean?

[theFlyingHog]

What is your preferred method for leaning the mix throughout a flight cycle? Do you lean for best performance on t/o run or use full rich?

I have flown with some people who leave it at full rich until they are above 5000msl. I always try to lean on the ramp and get as close as I can to max power for takeoff. Slowly roll out as I climb pretty much the entire climb. I always run rich of peak if using the tach and set if by temp if the EGT is accurate in the DA-20. 

[gotyacovered]

i run full rich until cruise altitude, my understanding is that is the only way to guarantee the least amount of wear and tear during the period that is the hardest on the engine. i go straight by the book after that as far as how much.

i was shocked to see that the burn rate on my trip to drake this weekend was 15gph... i have never had anything over 12, i assume this was b/c i climbed higher than i ever have before not sure though.

[bvillepig]

With a 300 HP Lycoming I lean on the ground. Go full rich in climb to cruise.  At cruise I lean till highest EGT is 1365 degrees.   

Around 6000 to 7000 I am 70-75% Power Fuel burn around 18.5
8000 to 9000  @ 1365 degrees  I burn 17-18
10000-12000   @1365  15-17

[bvillepig]

i run full rich until cruise altitude, my understanding is that is the only way to guarantee the least amount of wear and tear during the period that is the hardest on the engine. i go straight by the book after that as far as how much.

i was shocked to see that the burn rate on my trip to drake this weekend was 15gph... i have never had anything over 12, i assume this was b/c i climbed higher than i ever have before not sure though.

Your fuel burn at altitude should go down.  Were you in @ 172 or 182

[theFlyingHog]

How high did you climb and how long (time and dist) was the leg? It sounds like you fly something with more engine that requires more attention to temps than I have flown.

I was told some rule-of-thumb burns for Central's 172s by an instructor and made the mistake of not checking the POH until I did AMA-PRX in just over 3 hours and landed for fuel to find the tanks half full instead of close to empty. I've found the two 160hp models burn very close to book values after 28+ years.

i run full rich until cruise altitude, my understanding is that is the only way to guarantee the least amount of wear and tear during the period that is the hardest on the engine. i go straight by the book after that as far as how much.

i was shocked to see that the burn rate on my trip to drake this weekend was 15gph... i have never had anything over 12, i assume this was b/c i climbed higher than i ever have before not sure though.

[ADAM_713]

bit of codine and grape drink, wait.

[gotyacovered]

Your fuel burn at altitude should go down.  Were you in @ 172 or 182

182 230hp

[gotyacovered]

How high did you climb and how long (time and dist) was the leg? It sounds like you fly something with more engine that requires more attention to temps than I have flown.

I was told some rule-of-thumb burns for Central's 172s by an instructor and made the mistake of not checking the POH until I did AMA-PRX in just over 3 hours and landed for fuel to find the tanks half full instead of close to empty. I've found the two 160hp models burn very close to book values after 28+ years.

i cant give you the exact info. i climbed at best rate to 6500, which is what i flight planned for, that happened to be right at the cloud ceiling, so being VFR i had the option of 4500 or 8500. i went to 8500, i then went to best rate and climbed to 8500 and held that for the remainder of the trip. i dont have the rest of the info you asked about.

as previously disclosed, my fuel record keeping system was lacking, (see my soooooo listen how my morning went...thread) and my dad thinks i have a numerical number in my fuel log recorded wrong. when he was flying his 182 for work, tops of the greens 500agl he was burning 15.5 gph, so he thinks it is an error. especially since my training fuel burn was so much lower.

[HawgPilot]

I usually begin the lean on climb out.  I flew to Nashville on Sunday at 11500 and had my manifold pressure at 28" and 2250 RPM and was burning 13.8 gph.   

I fly a T182 Turbo

[gotyacovered]

I usually begin the lean on climb out.  I flew to Nashville on Sunday at 11500 and had my manifold pressure at 28" and 2250 RPM and was burning 13.8 gph.   

I fly a T182 Turbo

thats awesome

[MDH]

I've always leaned during the climb and run rich of peak (varies on the aircraft) in cruise.  The few aircraft with GAMI's I've flown that were 'safe' to run lean of peak I haven't run there because they weren't my aircraft.  I'm also of the opinion that what you save in fuel you spend in maintenance later on.  If I were going to run there I would make damn sure I had the engine instrumentation to let me know what was going on across the board, instead of just one EGT/CHT.

On this topic, the JPI analyzers are very good for this.

[fdx flyer]

Wow, never thought I'd see this question on Hogville.  It's a topic of some pretty heated internet debate. 

I have a Bonanza with a Continental IO-470N (injected, 260hp).  I've got GAMI fuel injectors and a 6 cylinder engine monitor (JPI EDM-700 with fuel flow). 

Not telling anybody how to fly, but unless you're at a high altitude airport (ie not in Arkansas) you need to be full rich for takeoff.  The extra fuel flow is necessary for cooling at full power, low altitude.   After that, it's up to you.  I generally lean slightly, about every 1000 ft or so, in the climb to keep my EGTs in the 1300s (about where they were for takeoff).  At cruise, I run lean of peak- usually 15-25 deg lean of peak EGT on the richest cylinder, depending on my altitude.  If I'm really in a big hurry, occasionally I'll run rich of peak for max power/speed, but it's about 4 more gph to get maybe 10 more knots.  Usually I'm about 11.5 to 12 gph lean of peak and 150-155 kts true.  I can link some articles later if y'all are interested, gotta run now.

[fdx flyer]

And one more quick thing.  If you're not fuel injected, and/or don't have an engine monitor, stay away from lean of peak ops.

[gotyacovered]

Not telling anybody how to fly, but unless you're at a high altitude airport (ie not in Arkansas) you need to be full rich for takeoff.  The extra fuel flow is necessary for cooling at full power, low altitude.   

And one more quick thing.  If you're not fuel injected, and/or don't have an engine monitor, stay away from lean of peak ops.

i was told both of these things throughout my training. it was beat into my head, almost shocked when i saw that "everyone" didn't do it!!!

[MDH]

Wow, never thought I'd see this question on Hogville.  It's a topic of some pretty heated internet debate. 

Ain't that the truth.  You have the set up to run there and I know plenty of people that do, I just am not a big fan of it personally.  Cost wise I think it is a wash over the life of the engine, but that's open for debate thus your statement.

The 700 is a good engine monitor.  Have you looked at the 730/830?  The 730 is plug and play with the 700 harness (iirc)- you don't really gain new info with the 730, it's just a bit easier on the eyes.

[fdx flyer]

I have a neighbor who has one.  The display is definitely better than the 700.  I've got a few other items that are higher on the upgrade list right now though.