Bax,

That was a cool explanation. I don't think I get it yet, but thanks for the help. I've often wondered that myself. What got me really thinking about it was watching an aerobat at OshKosh last summer. The pilot went into a tailslide and the narrator told us that the plane would reach 80-something mph and then flip. Sure nuff, that's exactly what happened.

I'm going to go back and read your reply again. The part that I'm struggling with is the fact about the force needing to be AFT of the CG. That sounds backwards to me.

Anyway, you certainly sound like you know what you're talking about. Are you aware of any other websites or threads that might have illustrations to go with the discussion?

Thanks,