Quote:
Originally Posted by Isaac
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Longitudinal instability is not an issue? I kind of think it is. You don't want to wobble in a plane for hours or try to keep it stable during a bomb run.
Flying wings while being an efficient airplane, have control issues that requires good control to make then viable. Today it makes perfect sense since the planes are computer stabilized and fly by wire.
Isaac
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We haven't got access to the original flight reports to judge how bad the longitudinal instability was. The flight behaviour can't have been too bad since production of the design was to occur. There seems to have been more concern about the defensive armament than the handling.
Not all flying wings had control issues - the Horten brothers' wings seem to have been free of the instability that plagued other designs. The Lippisch designs, while not classic flying wings, were more efficient and better handling designs than most conventional aircraft. For example, it was impossible to put an Me 163 into a spin - the stall behaviour was so benign.
Charlie