SSD: whoops! I didn't mean to imply that our old Chippie broke up in the air: it took a couple of stout trees to remove the wings, during an abortive attempt to get out from a small strip. That accident left the fuselage intact, but upside-down. The two occupants (who were virtually uninjured) had a job getting out - I now remember - because the release wire and locking pins you mention had been replaced with a set of nuts and bolts (because of the small boy problem!)
Back to the point; the Chipmunk really is a delight in terms of its handling. I'd love to get in a few more hours on one...