Re Jos's thoughts about tab drives
If one of the tab pins is not in the T-bar but is loose above it it will
be moved in the right direction when you pull back on the stick, but
will float free when you push the stick forward, and the reverse if it
is below the T-bar. When free it will have no effect on the tailplane
on that side, but the tab on the other side will still be doing its work
so you may be able to maintain control. But I would expect the 'free'
tab to try to emulate the Union Jack on the top of Edinburgh Castle so
the sooner it departs the tailplane the better. If it does that without
doing too much damage and without dislodging the T-bar from the other
tab I would think that the aeroplane would still be controllable, though
probably with difficulty.
There is a lot we don't know about this awful accident, but William is
reported as having said that the construction was a bit 'agricultural'
(he didn't build it), and its failure to get over a col in the Alps last
summer without four tries may have been a straw in the wind. Not all
Europas are created equal and anyone buying second hand should have a
very good look at what he is buying.
Frank Mycroft
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