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From: wanttaja@ssc-vax.UUCP (Ronald J Wanttaja)
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: Instability for control
Message-ID: <110@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 27-Sep-84 17:48:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: ssc-vax.110
Posted: Thu Sep 27 17:48:17 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 4-Oct-84 02:11:46 EDT
Organization: Boeing Aerospace, Seattle
Lines: 27

>  Destabilizing an aircraft for improved performance is the latest leap
>  in aircraft technology.  Of course, the triple redundant control system
>  is needed since a failure of a systems would make the aircraft impossible
>  to control.  

Yes, well, if you run your reference point for "latest" back to about 1903 
or so.  The Wright brothers used a canard configuration BECAUSE it was
inherently unstable... they wanted an aircraft that could be controlled.
If I remember right, they were concerned about excessive stability that
was a result of aft-mounted stabilization surfaces.  And realize, they 
also had Fly-By-(piano) Wire control  |-).

The Wrights did decide that properly designed "Arrow Stability" (the term
for it, back then) allowed sufficient control, and left the canard 
configuration (dare I say it?) behind in the Wright B model. 

						     Ron Wanttaja
						     (ssc-vax!wanttaja)

"Don't give me a P-38
with engines that counter-rotate,
It'll loop, roll, and spin...
And then auger right in,
Don't give me a P-38"

I'm not serious... I'll take any P-38s offered...