Originally Posted by Machinbird
One of our aircraft performance guys can probably come up with some realistic numbers, but I have just described the basic tactical approach to the maneuver.
I may be able to do that, but first I have to explain that I don't necessarily agree with your proposed approach. I agree that you accelerate rapidly when you reduce the AoA to zero lift (or nearly), but that is not optimal if you're trying to recover with minimum height loss, and will also lead to high speed and "g". Intuitively I would expect that the minimum height loss, speed excursion and "g" is achieved by using all the lift that you can get without stalling. A more practical optimum would be the maximum lift available without stall warning, as illustrated by this phugoid:
The AoA of 7 degrees was chosen to stay out of stall warning until at the bottom of the pull-up (the threshold is 10.8° at M.28, and 7.6° at M.53). An even better trajectory would be achieved if the pilot managed to stay on the threshold of stall warning:
Initial normal acceleration 0.73 g, and level off at FL 69, M.47, 276 kCAS, AoA 8.5°, and az=2,05 g.
The maneuver assumes constant total energy (thrust = drag), and begins after the airplane has been pitched down to unstall.
The fact that load factor protection is available in ALT2 is a bonus.