TD
A change of 8 per cent in Weight would be 33,000 pounds. So the 8 percent of CG is a whopper. Unfashionable to change such heavy horses in mid stream. It may represent the entire aft fuel load, as if it were foreward, which it was not. Cheating Fuel is an old trick, and it saves a significant amount of fuel burn? The cost is Stability, orienting the Cl to the Cg is hazardous. The a/c becomes more sensitive in Pitch, obviously.
If, for instance the Cg fell behind enough, Up becomes down, and down Up. PF did hold aft stick all the way down, after all. hmmm..........
I am not real clear on the a/p's authority in Pitch, Roll, and keeping the two in line with each other. To me, if Pitch transits got out of phase with Power, their could be trouble? Insofar as rate, I think Power up when Nose down would be problematic, as would the reverse. If the THS is in there, what is the calculated rate for stopping speed and Pitch excursions that are (or have become) unnecessary?
If it is a rate thing, do the a/p's limits constrict? As in, "Keeping Up"? I still think it is a toss-up which came first, the 'slows', or the 'unreliables'.
I lean to the slows.......
leading to hand flight.
Now, will there be some clarity from BEA?