Originally Posted by
Pilot DAR
Airframes are intended to flex under load, and the limitations are very clear. When my buddy and I used to dogfight in our 150's, I was amazed to be chasing him around in a 3G turn (yes, I have a G meter), to see the sun light up the top of his wings - the wrinkles in the skin, tip to tip, were profound. Once on the ground again, a quick, nervous check, and everything looked perfectly normal.
Yes, the tail of a Tomahawk wobbles around a bit during a spin (which I did many times), and during flight in turbulence too. As the pilot, ask yourself: Why are you watching backward while you're flying forward? Don't worry about it!
I'd second that - flexibility is a major part of how aircraft structures handle loads - a very rigid structure will suffer much higher transient stresses under variable load than a flexible one.
After all, think what it would do to your spine if the undercarriage and tyres were absolutely rigid, instead of flexible, during landing.
G