Axial Stability of Flight Models In Game

[secretone]

I was recently rereading Duels in the Sky by Captain Eric Brown in which he describes the handling of various planes he test flew in real life and in which he also repeatedly discusses axial stability. This has started me wondering if the flight models we have in game are indeed accurate in terms of axial stability. My perception of what we have in game is neutral stability for the most part - a little trimming and you could fly on instruments. From what I have read in test pilot reports, many fighters had negative stability around one or more of the axes (lateral, longitudinal or vertical) and could be a real challenge to control. In fact, many writers seem to assert that poor axial stability was common and even a necessary evil in maneuverable fighters of that era. On the other hand, designers would want to have positive axial stability in bombers and especially transport planes. Today, of course, we have computer controlled fly by wire systems but that was not the case during the 1940's.