[TomcatViP]

NO NO and NOOOOO

Two of the most manoeuvrable fighters today are perfectly stables: Mig29 and Su27.

It's a matter of philosophy from the manufacturer and the air forces using it.

Today, aft positioned CG is used to lower the drag in high AoA configuration : less elev surfaces deflection (especially in the case of elevons), less tail plane surface, less drag when deflected. Have a look at the range of tailplane incidences available on modern fighters (when they do not act as airbrake).

Moreover I suspect you are mixing stability (or the lack of it) and relaxed stability (what you call instability). The former is what ease the plane in flight for the pilot and, in the case of modern plane with relaxed pitch stability, is always implemented by the flight controls (the pitch crl of F16 and airbus is ctrled by the number of inputs basically - you don't have to pull and push), and relaxed stability (akka positive longitudinal instability) used in modern fighter and Airbus airliner to reduce the drag, accelerate the pitch rate or both.

I don't see why a pilot would want an unstable aircraft especially in pitch when you have to do lengthy flight in clouds, bad weather or simply T.O at dusk . There was the same prob with the Camel during WWI. they made it instable "in purpose" to give him a way to fight the superior airfoil section used by the Germans but at a very high cost : pilot SA dramatically dropped. And there we had teh same result: Experienced pilots were at ease in that situation but rookies had all their attention drown in flying the plane. Doesn't it remind you something ? ... Like section leaders landing back to base with both his wingmen shot down as depicted in a famous 1969 movie?

... And the 47 and the 51 over Europe have told us that you don't win a war with experteen but with a range of perfectly trained young pilots at ease in planes easy to master.

Regarding the Cessna, if you really push and turn the yoke My memory tell me that the 172 is quite manoeuvrable. I won't hve had a dogfight with a 29 but still you feel secure in mountainous terrains.