Stuart Grant wrote:

Answer to this question isn't in the flight manual for my '53 Cessna
180. Hope to get some expert advice.

I am planning a long flight Labor Day Weekend and calculate no wind
reserve based on my previous fuel burn rate of about 50 minutes. Book
says even more.
My last leg will be about 170 N mile and as much as 20 miles off the
coast of Georgia. Not in a rush. I want to save gas.

I expect to be descending from either 9,500 or 7,500 feet at about 200
feet per minute to a sea level landing. This will take about half an
hour. My economy cruise will be max 22.5" MP or WOT and 2200 RPM. Any
advantage to reducing the RPM to 2000 or lower during the long
descent? Does it save gas? Is it better to reduce MP and leave RPM at
2200? I know the prop acts like a brake a high RPM-fine pitch. Is low
RPM and coarse pitch-more like feathering when you are going downhill?

Thanks in advance -
You should not linger between altitudes. Everybody, other pilots and
ATC, expect you to be at the correct altitude. Safety, not economy,
demands this.