Quote:
Originally Posted by Delvo
Since the F-16, American fighter jets have been inherently unstable, deliberately, and so are some of the more recent foreign fighters. ...Instability is good for maneuverability, as long as it can be kept under enough control that it's not too detrimental to safety, speed, or fuel efficiency.
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Actually this is also true of fighter designs all the way back to the Sopwith Camel.
R/C versions that can actually fly of spacecraft from SciFi shows employ I suspect many clever alterations to maintain workable aerodynamic qualities while still resembling the original model.