This spin off topic is often hard for modelers to believe for a simple reason. Modelers have little chance to know the exact speed the airplane settles into. And have little chance to know the AOA of the airplane. We can't see the difference between 90mph and 100mph, much less 45 and 46. And can't see AOA angles worth spit.

When we're buzzing around at WOT the airplane looks to us like it is flying at the same top speed no matter how high it is. And it looks to us like it's flying just as flat at 400' as it is when we bring it by on a lowlevel pass. And just as flat at 2/3 throttle as at WOT.