Gregory Hall wrote:

I think it makes good sense. Look at the size of that engine up front. Looks
like a P-51 Mustang for pity sake. When you're being pulled along by that
big prop and heavy, powerful engine it pulls the nose of the aircraft down.
The horizontal stabilizers have to counteract this force by putting an
upward force on the nose by pushing the tail down. If and when the engine
suddenly dies the aircraft will pitch up suddenly and since the size of the
stabilizers are so puny they might easily stall and be unable to counteract
the upward pitch at the nose resulting in a tail down death spiral.


Good try, Greg, but there is so much that you have left out, or just
have plane wrong (yuk! yuk!). I'll just point out one thing that I
haven't seen anyone else mention.

Engine offset.

How an airplane behaves power-on vs. power-off can be be radically
modified with a few shims that will shift the direction the engine is
pulling. Left to right. Up to down. The numbers will be specified
with high accuracy in a set of plans. The Dyke Delta has 2/3 degree
upthrust. When you apply power it pulls the nose up. Drop power and so
does the nose. Makes for a more stable speed. There is no way you
could ever get those details from a picture over the internet.