Crashburn - are you trying to be sarcastic?? stop that!!

All kidding aside I have had many meetings around a designers drawing board during which very respected members of McDonnell Douglas's aero dept. changed a design by the exact methods I just mentioned. Later the dimensions may be refined but surprisingly not that often. Usually the changes are to optimize performance, rarely due to stability or maneuverability. I was always in awe back in those days in watching an experience mind at work. 30 years later it isn't quite so mysterious as it used to be, but it did bring home that listening to and learning from more experienced aero engineers is always a good idea. You never can tell when you might learn something.