BE58 - Baron mixture controls all sorts of wrong

I did a lovely night flight from YMAY to YMEN, GPS Direct at 9000ft and was messing around with settings - but noticed really strange behaviour.

The cruise was at 9000ft, which was above full throttle height.

  1. The mixture only seemed to change fuel flow. When reducing from 100%, the fuel flow initially increased (???), but there was no change in CHT or EGT readings.

  2. A gradual reduction of mixture to ~50% caused the fuel flow to rise, then fall again.

In theory, what should happen is that the fuel flow can only decrease as you reduce mixture. I can’t think of any reason why moving from 100 → 80% mixture would cause an increase in fuel flow.

The CHT / EGT should reduce as the aircraft climbs, but as mixture is reduced, should rise to a peak at the Chemically Correct Mixture (CCM) (which I believe should be a 14.7:1 air to fuel ratio), then fall off until rough running starts. Procedure would normally to be adjust mixture to (I think) ~25 degrees lower than CCM on the rich side.

It’s been a number of years since I’ve done this in a real baron, so someone might be able to elaborate further or correct any mistakes above from a bit more recency…

Your thinking is correct. It’s been a few years since I was on the Baron too. Leaning the mixture will never give more fuel flow IRL.

I think this is a fundamental bug in the sim’s logic, where more fuel = more power, whereas in reality you can have too much fuel.

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Yes last time I checked a few months back this unfortunately affected all piston engine planes. I stopped using them because of it. Maybe they fixed it for some. Apparently not for the Baron.

Yup, just jumped into the B58. I used to fly it in X-Plane with the Reality Expansion Pack and here in MSFS I’m really puzzled with what I’m seeing. Mixture does not impact MP or CHT, just fuel flow and the engine sound and performance making it quite hazardous to play with the mixture lever, and impossible to set a desired power setting.