Quote:
now you can't stall the thing, you can apparently pull like a plunger and it won't stall while turning.
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That is not right at all. The Spitfire gave plenty of warning but the longitudinal instability made it easy to over control and stall with a wing that had very harsh accelerated stall characteristics.
3/4 in stick travel runs the wing from cruise to stall with 5lbs per G.
Here is the post war proposal to adopt quantifiable stability and control standards like the United States. Up until then, stability and control at the RAE was opinion. It is interesting too reading the measured results vs opinion.
In Gates test, the Spitfire exhibited peak stick force during a steady 4G pullout was only TWO POUNDS!!
Of course he labeled it too light. The Stirling on the other hand exhibited a peak stick force of 84lbs during a steady 2G pull out. It was considered normal under quantifiable stability and control criteria.
Now Gates did publish several papers after visiting the NACA attempting to get the RAE on a standard or at least improve their stability and control science but it was not adopted until post war.
Between Gates and Lyons the RAE was finally on a standard by 1950.