Tiger Moth auto-slats
Tiger Moths came with slats on the upper wing that extended when the wing was close to the stall. They could be locked closed by means of a lever in the cockpit and were locked in the shut position for taxiing over rough ground and for aerobatics and spinning.
I recently went for a ride as a passenger in a privately-owned Tiger Moth that had the slats removed. Seems it cost money to service the slats and the owner (a current airline captain) decided the slats were useless anyway.
The Pilot's Notes Tiger Moth (RAF version) assumed the slats were operative for take off and landing and I guess the recommended take off and approach IAS of 58 Knots was based on this.
Question: Do the slats either removed or locked change the flying characteristics of a Tiger Moth and if removed how does this affect the airworthiness of the aircraft?