No, no. Everybody's probably right. When one goes into reverse or beta in flight, the airplane explodes. Not simply begins a slow rupture, but every rivet, every lap seam, every component, stringer, longeron, spar, bulkhead, and the very skin, first begins to glow, and then the airplane shakes like a banshee with unholy specteral gastric distress. The skin begins to glow brighter and brighter until it's terrible radiance exceeds even the noon-day sun, and then things begin to come apart. I hear that if one even looks at such an airplane, one will be blind for life.
Still, I have to wonder. When the aircraft is sitting tied down on the flight line at night, with no airflow over that elevator, or rudder, or ruddervator, or elevon, or...how come it doesn't end in complete catastrophy, then? Perhaps just because it doesn't have so far to fall?
But what about that downwash that prevents certain catastrauphic effects...that download on the "elevator." Is it the horizontal stab that benifits from download, or is it the elevator? Hmmm. I wonder. And does that download go away when reverse or beta is entered? (Clue: does it go away if the engine is shut down and the prop feathered in flight?). So long as that airplane is moving forward, it doesn't go away. It may be altered or varied, but it doesn't go away.
Personally, I'm finding a basement apartment. Now that I know that the risk of a turbopropeller going into reverse accidentally in flight exists, and that it's sure to end in catastrauphic disaster, I want to get as far underground as I can. Those airplanes could be raining down any minute. Gotta go. I think I hear one overhead right...
as a response... guess that about sums it up.
