I'm not sure to apply in the right way max attainable reduction due to landing gear down
A Bf.109 E7 in VL band (Max level speed = 6.0) is: loaded, severly damaged, -1 step loss engine, landing gear down (A stuck fuel tank doesn't help but still flying)
(...)
Rules page 30 (added : see note below), the Note just above Rule 4.4.
All items that affect max attainable speed (and by inference, adjusted min speed) are calculated in a LOAD-DAMAGE-POWER order. Remember "LDP". Also remember to check min. adjusted speed. Gear down effects are applied to the outcome (last).
Mil power Example.
109E-7 max attain = 6.0 -0.5 loaded-1.0 sev. damage -0.5 step loss = 4.0, gear down reduces that by 1/3 (1.5 on FVT) to 2.5. You did the calculation correctly.
Min adjusted speed = 2.0+0.5 loaded+0.5 severe damage = 3.0.
As you have no power available if above max attainable. Your plane will need to descend to maintain speed, or you will have to jettison load somehow, to raise your max attainable to 3.0 and drop your min. adjusted to 2.5, or you can lower landing flaps to reduce adj. min. speed to 2.5, same as max attainable. To sustain level flight in your condition at mil power either drop load, or use landing flaps.
Cruise power = 4.0 from above - 1.5 = 2.5, gear down reduces by 1/3 (1.0) to 1.5
Min. adjusted is 3.0. Same problem as above. Drop load to change max attain to 2.0 and min adj. to 2.5. At cruise power you cannot sustain level flight unless you drop your landing flaps to reduce your min. adj. to 2.0. In that case, max attain and min. adjusted are the same. To sustain level flight at cruise power, you will have to drop load AND use landing flaps.
End. power = 4.0 from above - 2.0 (1/2 of max attainable) = 2.0, gear down reduces that by 1/3 (0.5) to 1.5
Min. adjusted is 3.0. If you jettison load max attain = 4.5-2.0 = 2.5 - 1.0 gear down = 1.5.
Even with landing flaps you adj. min is 2.5, or 2.0 (no load) which is still above 1.5. At endurance power you will be landing sooner rather than later.
Idle power = 4.0 from, then above adjusted to 3.0 for idle (1/2 of max listed) - 1.0 for gear down. = 2.0
But wait, you say, how can you get a higher max attainable from idle over endurance power? Well, don't forget, at idle you have a 0.5 speed bleed at the start of every turn. You aren't going to fly long at idle, so this rules oddity doesn't matter IMO.
JD
(https://groups.io/g/FW-Ref-Central/message/3679) 04/02/2020
Note : JD wrote page 30, but this is page 10 of the rulebook indeed.