and therefore cause the pilot to raise the lever more to contain it.
Aren't you introducing a variable that you should dismiss with. Of course if you want to extend range, slow down ROD, then you will "lift the lever."
Why not carry out the discussion which is the way I read it from the beginning and stay within the premise of the design characteristics of the aircraft being able to maintain the RPM at low weight just in the green and at no more than top of the green at Max AUW with the lever right down. and aren't we talking about one heavier than the other - only regarding range and ROD..
After all where does the engineer start from to set nominal angles? Yep tha's right jacked up with A/C level, collective at the bottom, nominal lengths and angles checked from the bottom all the way up through the control rods etc to the final blade angle.
This will be the pitch setting then with lever down and kept down, in auto. now add weight and what happens? higher ROD and shorter range ain't it?