Well it's time to chime in here. First I have not read all the posts. so if I am stepping on someone else's post with this information, I'm sorry but here is my take on this subject.

1. You can DRIVE an airplane through the sky without using rudder. You cannot FLY an airplane through the sky without using rudder.

2. Propeller driven airplanes need coordinating rudder applications in normal flight. Slips, crosswind take-offs and landings are better performed with opposite rudder applications to aileron even and especially in jets.

3. Jet powered aircraft can be driven through areial maneuvers without use of any rudder application. To FLY the airplane in most maneuvers, skillful use of rudder application results in smoother, easier, and more positive control of the machine.

I spent two years flying the famous C-123, two R-2800s and two small jets for certain work, and I loved it. Most pilots complained about the difficulty in ailerons. I decided it was just a big old RC flat bottom wing design, so rudder was sorely needed with aileron pressure. When aileron was needed, gentle coordinating rudder application made it so very easy. A smoothly flown airplane using all the available controls can make almost any airplane a joy to fly. Of courese each aircraft has its own paramaters, but PILOTS can find them, while airplane-drivers may never discover such.

When I was flying for UAL, we had to take annual simulator check-rides. The simulator was programed for aileron only except during engine-out. Some of the older Sim instructors preached, You don't need rudder in a jet. It was futlile to argue so I flew the sim as they wanted. In the airplanes the use of rudder was super, especially in approaches and landings. Other flight was super smooth with a slight rudder touch when banking.

I instructed in both USAF T-33 and T-38 aircraft. Rudder applications made all the differences. My students learned such and were great pilots. Others were not so fortunate. Sometimes when flying with someone else's student, and we had a chance to make a few landings, most of these studs. would pitch-out with no rudder and both helmets hit the opposite sides of the canopy. Well, with a bit of tidy instruction, and applied rudder in the pitch, all buttocks stayed firmly in the seat, the roll was much smoother and altitude control in that quick level wing to 60-70* bank was minimal, and all was well. Never had a student gripe about what he just learned.

So YOU make YOUR choice. PILOTS learn the use of rudder in control coordination. Airplane Drivers, well there are other names for them like TARGETS!