Heres a couple of links that clearly show the relationship between stability and maneuverability i.e. the relationship is inverse, this is what USN student pilots are being taught, I am fairly sure the USN currently are using 'adopted' standards
http://navyflightmanuals.tpub.com/P-1231/P-12310068.htm
http://navyflightmanuals.tpub.com/P-1231/P-12310031.htm
So lets get all this in perspective, longitudinal instability does 'not' mean the aircraft is difficult to control, and it 'does' mean the aircraft is more manouverable, it's all about how far on the scale you go, and the Spitfire just sits on the slightly unstable end, the 109 would sit slightly on the stable end.
I will just quote Crumpp again so you can draw your own conclusions wether he really knows what he is talking about or just has a sinister agenda.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crumpp
Exactly. Instability does not do anything except make the aircraft harder to control.
It is a myth that instability has positive effects on maneuverability. In fact, it narrows the maneuvering envelope because the pilot cannot precisely control the aircraft.
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