"Dale" wrote in message
...
If you didn't either climb above and dive down or
=== leave the power up to accelerate to cruise speed ===
it would make about a 10-15 mph difference in
speed.

[emphasis mine] True...that's what's already been said. Though, in truth,
if you you simply set cruise power, you would eventually accelerate to the
desired cruise speed. It would just take a lot longer.

The method we prefered and used was to climb above the desired
altitude and dive back down. This was quicker than using power to
accelerate.

No, it wasn't. Basic thermodynamics (conservation of energy) dispute that
claim. The time you spent climbing could have been spend accelerating at
climb power, and in the end you'd reach your cruise speed at practically the
same time either way.

A pilot that was ham fisted in pitch could bleed off the speed at cruise
and end up on the low end.

He'd have to be pretty ham fisted to drop from cruise speed all the way down
below best L/D to the other equilibrium speed for the power setting. A
pilot that ham-fisted shouldn't be trusted with a Cessna 150, never mind a
B-24.

Pete