Isn't the ventral strake made out of plywood?
Yes, it is, but there is a tail bumper as well.
Rossian,
L1 & 2 could have their moments, but one was normally anticipating just about anything at this stage. I usually found that the problem came later on when a normally reliable student did something completely out of the ordinary, like not remembering to flare for landing. It was a tough old beast, it had to be!
YS