Fareastdriver ,
So Murphy still ruled as late as your day ! Even in the Avro 504s, IIRC, they'd tumbled to that and had different sized turnbuckles to join control cable sections.
Your:
".... and when you thought disaster was certain the wings would claw sufficient lift to get it off the ground...." (the universal experience of all of us old NervousSLFs who once sat in the 'Seat of the Mighty', but now must cringe far back in Steerage on the rare occasions we can scrape the cash together to do so).
Now, seriously, you must have enough Chinese flying stories to keep our Thread going for a twelvemonth. Now give, please ! (I'm sure I speak for all, don't I, chaps ?)
Danny.