In properly done flight test work, the altitude is held very constant (10 ft)
for at least 5 or 10 minutes, no power changes, after you think you are
already stable. It takes this long for the speed to stabilize that last
5 kts or so. The data is taken after it is truly stable. Dead smooth air
is required. When done this way, it becomes obvious that there is
no such thing as a "step".

What we percieve as a step is a climb above the desired altitude and
then descend to the altitude before reducing power. After 5 or 10
minutes, we "fall off the step" and have to climb and descend again.
We conveniently don't count the extra climb or extra power time.

Then the real trick is to determine how much power is being produced.





In article k.net, Jerry
Springer wrote:


David O wrote:
Big John wrote:


Also in cruise you would climb several
hundred feet above your cruise altitude and in a shallow descent back
to that altitude pick up 10 mph + which the bird would hold if you
were careful and held a constant attitude. Was told (bar talk) that
was a characteristic of a laminar flow wing????


With all due respect, John, I rather think it is a characteristic of
people's ability to fool themselves. For my part, I'll believe that
Mustangs and/or Mooneys have a cruise "step" when an organization such
as NASA or CAFE documents the phenomena.

The following post by Dr. Philip Bridges of the Aerospace Engineering
Department at Mississippi State University echoes my sentiments on the
subject,

http://tinyurl.com/x48p


Correct David, there is no such thing as a step. I had not read Dr Bridges
before but fully agree with his statements.

Jerry