•The more stable an aircraft is the more
force/movement you must apply to the controls to make it deviate from its existing
path.
•You need just enough stability but not too
much (Goldilocks)
•Too much stability will make it feel ‘heavy’
to fly
–although what a novice pilot may feel is
‘nice’ an experienced pilot may consider too heavy and what an experienced pilot thinks
is ‘nice’ a novice may
find ‘twitchy’
•If you have neutral stability or instability
the aircraft will be hard, dangerous or impossible to fly
•Similarly if it is much too stable (any
axis)
•Aerobatic aircraft tend towards neutral
stability
–otherwise they wouldn’t be able to carry out
the extreme manoeuvres
•Modern jet fighters are likely to be quite
unstable
–for this very reason
–but they need a computer between the pilot
and the controls (fly by wire)
•