Which engine controls do you use to get the La-5 to a slow cruise?

[FTC_Mars]

I've been flying the BoS career with the La-5 series 8 on expert realism. The ground attack plane escort missions often involve escorting IL-2s, which cruise at ~270 km/h, and it can be difficult to hit the flight's target cruise speed in the La-5 with just the joystick throttle and technochat throttle percentage notices.  They don't provide fine enough control.

 

I can get the plane trimmed for the escort flight, but it's difficult to tweak the engine controls to match the flight speed.  I'm often mucking around with the throttle around the 10-14% mark, yoyoing above and below the target speed.  The throttle adjustment is finicky enough that I've considered putting a response curve on the throttle's low end to get fine control for these missions.  Changing the engine RPM can help control airspeed, but the engine reacts strongly to RPM control changes, and it takes a few seconds for a new setting to settle in.

 

I've checked Chuck's guide and Inkompetent’s Realistic Flight Manual, but neither mention procedures for reducing the M-82 engine's power for cruise.

 

Which engine controls do others use to get the La-5 into an efficient slow cruise?  Is there a specific target or procedure for RPM + mixture + manifold pressure that pilots would historically use to slow the M-82 engine down?

 

 

[DD_Arthur]

Do not match the speed of the IL2's when you escort them.  You render yourself as much a sitting duck to the LW as the IL2's are.

 

If you know the correct heading of the ground attack aircraft you are escorting then fly a wide, s-shaped pattern above them along that general heading.

The trick is to keep an eye on them and a watch for enemy aircraft whilst maintaining a decent speed and altitude.