Longitudinal Stability and Fly by Wire
Huge benfit of FBW is that you can get away with artificial stability and end up with an up load on the tail instead of the 30 odd tonnes of down load that the wings of a 747 have to overcome at/near AUW.
Result is a large reduction in induced drag and enhanced manoeuvrability. In flight the elevators with FBW are continually on the move to prevent pitch up or pitch down unless the designer leaves in some residual natural stability.
The US terminology for such design is Controlled Configured Vehicle!!
F16 was one of the first. It is close to neutral naturally stable subsonic and becomes negatively stable naturally when supersonic.
Has this explanation been too complicated?