Originally Posted by
megan
What our long departed and much admired
411A had to say.
Having flown DC-3's, DC-6's and Lockheed Constellations in the past, can say that ALL of these aircraft were climbed slightly high (100-200 feet), then descended slowly to the desired cruise altitude, while maintaining climb power.
Once level at altitude, reduce to cruise power (approximately 50% BHP) and adjust mixture to autolean, close cowl flaps and oil shutters as needed...presto, time for coffee.
ANY other method of level off at the desired cruise altitude took MUCH longer to reach the desired cruise speed, simply because these aircraft, as well as many older turboprops (F.27/FH227's for example) did not have excess power at higher altitudes, unlike many turbofan powered aircraft today.
What Exactly Is, "Flying On The Step"? - Airliners.net
You really need to read that more carefully.
Focus on this part.
ANY other method of level off at the desired cruise altitude took MUCH longer to reach the desired cruise speed
Notice that he says that it take longer to reach *the* desired cruise speed. Notice that he does *not* say that it allowed you to achieve and maintain a
higher cruise speed.
Yes, if you leave in climb power, and/or dive slightly, you will achieve the maximum cruise airspeed sooner than if you level off and immediately set cruise power, and wait for it to build. When I was a flight engineer on the DC-6 I used to occasionally fly with a captain who would do that. Yeah, it took a long, long time to gradually accelerate to your cruising speed. And it was a real pain, because as an engineer, it really dragged out the time that you had to be constantly adjusting the cowl flaps and oil cooler door flaps to keep all your temps in line as airspeed soooooowly built. But for all that, eventually, you did reach the same cruising airspeed that you'd reach if you left in climb power and accelerated to slightly above it before setting cruise power.
Once again, the "step climb theory" is the theory that by accelerating to a higher airspeed by diving or using climb power or both, you can you maintain a cruise airspeed higher than the *maximum* cruise airspeed you would get if you just accelerated to cruise airspeed with a lower power in level flight.