Nigd3 There was no offense taken in anything you have written and no need for an apology. There is merit in your opinion and in this discussion.
I am, as others in this and other forums have at times noted, a rather thick-skinned and witted American who only rarely understands he has been insulted - even when such insult is intentional. The truth of it is, if I didn't listen to those who disagree with me I would never learn anything. You will also note that when someone says something monumentally stupid in any forum other than Jetblast, I usually don't bother to answer. I have discovered in those cases a reply is a bit like wrestling with a pig in the mud; sooner or later you realize the pig likes it.
You raised a very interesting point and given the comments of test pilots I have come to respect in this forum that have agreed with your opinion, you have caused me to evaluate my own bias with, as Jetstream Rider so eloquently stated in the last post, a hope of finding the more elegant solution rather than just doing the same thing because that is the way we have always done things in the past. Your comments have already been very beneficial as I have questioned my core beliefs and as a result of the research have a better understanding of the evolution of the various designs. As some bard once said, there are many paths to the top of a mountain.