I wonder if the preoccupation of some posters with the THS can be traced to a misperception of its rôle. When releasing the stick in a small airplane, the elevator is released and the airplane goes to the AoA for which it is trimmed.
That is different in a FBW airplane. Releasing the stick does not release the elevator. The elevator goes to the position that will provide 1g. As long as the elevator doesn't reach full travel, the position of the THS is irrelevant for the flight path. The main difference is that the elevator moves quickly and the THS moves slowly. 1° of THS is equivalent to 1.5° of elevator (according to Owain G).
Last edited by HazelNuts39; 11th Aug 2012 at 13:04.
Reason: correction to make the text more general