Expect to catch your formation well before a reasonable waypoint. Once you can stay joined, you will be running reduced engine and prop. Work on lower prop speed, you can have 120+% power to 100% RPM which is over-square. But try keeping nose down until you have gained good speed method without using more than 80% power. It will still work.
The hard part is cutting back on power soon enough to just merge into formation moving 320-360kph. Crabbing to slow down does work. Crab is wings tilt one way, rudder goes the other way, plane loses speed.
Better is to not get over 400kph on the way to formation, start cutting throttle and rpm as you approach. Once close, even at 20kph faster you'd better be slowing down.
My usual experience is keep nose down, get speed, rise to formation alt already going 380-400kph and gain speed on the 360kph dots. Usually by the time the dots start getting bigger I'm going way too fast and just shoot on past the flight even while slowing down, then go back and fit into my spot.
Once you're moving you can usually keep speed up on reduced rpm and power. You should get a cooler engine that way.
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