Originally Posted by
Ascend Charlie
Ex-mil pilots sometimes put some friction on the stick to give it stability. (ex-parte)
They are deluding themselves if they think that friction adds stability. Force Trim, like on a Huey, does add a little by trying to return the cyclic to its previous position, but simple friction is not anything like that.
We(I) didn't think it added stability so much as added a poor mans autopilot for short time while we were busy delivering our 'payload', or otherwise busy trying to find stuff that was after us. For me, and me alone, I preferred high stick forces mainly because the GIF pickling off that damn nose cannon made the skinny plane shake like a 5.0 on the Richter scale. For the GIF, I liked high stick forces because the cyclic was a 4:1 reduction to the stick in back, so if I happen to sneeze, or cough and was flying the plane, it wouldn't make huge uncommanded(purposeful) excursions.