I am trying to manage the engine revs as explained in other posts by using Ctrl - to lean the mixture as I gain altitude, and ctrl + to enrich while descending. I am flying a BE2 and seem to keep the revs between 1100 and 1200 most of the time. My other flight members seem to climb and pull away from me with ease, often leaving me feeling uncomfortably alone (fortunately it is February 1915 and I haven't seen an enemy aircraft yet!). I am thinking perhaps I should be getting more power out of the engine.
I usually hit Ctrl - three or four times every 1000ft or so, flying at no more than 6000ft. I once tried about ten times and the revs dropped below 1000. Should I be doing things differently?