Originally Posted by ArrestMeRedZ
Originally Posted by ZeeOSix
BTW ... the air frame isn't "unstable".
Like just about every fighter since the F-16 (and the B-2), the F-22 has negative aerodynamic stability, commonly referred to as "unstable".
Yes , that is what I have read .
A stable aircraft will tend to keep flying , pointedy end first , if there are no control inputs / correction . Like a paper airplane . But this can be a disadvantage for an air superiority fighter . Which needs to be able to make quick & sometimes violent maneuvers .
Far as I know , these " new " fighters are all fly by wire control systems . The pilot controls do not operate the control surfaces . They generate inputs to the electronics of the control system . The electronics ( when operating correctly ) generate outputs which in turn activate the control surfaces .
If the electronics are having a bad day , the plane does not have inherent stability ( like a good paper airplane ) and would / will have a tendency to swap ends with it self / go out of control . Without the electronics ( which can react faster than a human ) the plane is un-controlable / un-flyable .
None of this is from personal experience . I am not a pilot .