Just a reminder that you're encroaching on limits.  But I assume you're going to test considerably past VNE anyway.  I think you'll have to research flutter a little, since at your cruise altitude (15k - 18k?) your IAS will be under VNE but your TAS might be considerably in excess.  There's a TAS component to flutter that needs to be examined and understood.  These kinds of things are NOT "benign" failures.  I think that at altitude, and if you're over propped enough, you could cruise at or a little above VNE at relatively benign power settings.  Anxious to see how it all works out.

You've got a LOT of flight testing ahead of you .... Jim S.

John Slade wrote:

  > 200 kts is 230 mph.Actually it's 230.16. What's your point? :)

--
Jim Sower ... Destiny's Plaything
Crossville, TN; Chapter 5
Long-EZ N83RT, Velocity N4095T