[bongodriver]

Originally Posted by JtD

Pitch would only effect elevator and you're making a general statement. A higher stability does not necessarily imply higher control forces. "Higher" control forces do not imply "heavy" controls.

I'm not sure where exactly I implied pitch affects anything other than elevators, the more stability the more resistance it's simple fact, if there was no resistance to input then by definition it has no stability (the nature of returning to original condition) it is that resistance which pulls the controls back to original position therefore the relationship between stability and control force is almost proportional, there is an RAE report stating 'exactly' this point about the 109.
I have flown aircraft with heavy controls and it's bloody tiring and I would class an aircraft with lighter controls as much easier to fly despite any perceived 'twitchyness', the penalties from adverse handling characteristics of an aircraft are just something to get used to and I would always prefer an aircraft to have light controls so I don't have to wrestle with it if things get hairy.

in summary, it may not 'necessarily' mean higher control forces but in practice and most of the time it means 'exactly' that in a conventional planform aircraft with the largest proportion of mass toward the front, aircraft like the Spitfire and P-51, P-39 were exeptions because of the way certain loadouts (or engine in the P-39) would affect distribution of that mass thus affecting CofG, as we all know CofG has an impact on stability, the 109 was just a whacking great big engine,prop and gun with a tiny little aircraft bolted to it, a stable speed machine with big guns...ideal for BnZ.