So.. a question for the experts. If you have an Turn and Slip fitted in lets say a "highly capable" aerobatics plane, will the maneuvering destroy it? I know it sounds like an odd question to ask but I have reasons!

Never gave any problem in a PItts - but then it was the 'ball' element that was the most important!

The nature of the motion is more likely to cause long term damage, and may shorten the life of the components a little. Mechanical artificial horizons will "topple" in many aerobatic manoeuvres, although should self-cage within a minute or so of return to straight and level flight.

On the other hand, the more modern solid state electronic systems - I'd expect no problems at all, bar possibly a very short period of nonsense readings in conditions they weren't designed for (say, a spin or flick roll).

G

In the flying school where I worked years ago a wealthy individual bought a Cirrus. He spent lots of time in a simulator now called a flight training device. Holding patterns and ILS stuff as he intended to fly IFR in his new Cirrus with its autopilot and EFIS. I suggested he should also practice limited panel instrument flying in the simulator just in case it ever happened. He scoffed at the suggestion and said it would never happen with EFIS. Maybe so. Except the simulator didn't have EFIS. Usual six pack which included a Turn and Slip indicator (Bat and Ball).

While he was smugly poling his way around a holding pattern I took the liberty of pulling the CB on the artificial horizon. Within 45 seconds he was in a spiral dive and would have eventually crashed. I thought he would have learned from this highly effective lesson that keeping up one's instrument flying skill on limited panel was just as important as full panel. No so. He got quite angry and blamed me (his instructor) for causing him to crash. It's called Loss of Face; a significant factor among certain cultures and the contributory cause of some accidents.