modern jets need computer-aided control of flight control surfaces to keep the aircraft stable
Small nitpick, commercial jets are designed to be aerodynamically stable. If controls froze briefly, the plane would continue to be stable, flying as it was when the controls froze. You'd need to add in the turbulence or some external force for it to be a problem. That said, the 787 is 100% dependent on electronic controls, so anything more than brief loss of controls would lead to a crash.
>You'd need to add in the turbulence or some external force for it to be a problem.
Which is what I said :). The computer controlled flight control surfaces aren't just keeping the aircraft aerodynamically stable, they're keeping it comfortable/safe which is what "stable" means in this context (since it's a passenger jet).
Dropping 500 feet is nothing for the aircraft. That's a different story for the passengers.
Yes, I wanted to draw the distinction between other types of aircraft, like some military jets, which compromise stability (either for performance or stealth), and need the computer controlled surfaces to fly straight. I take stable to mean, not unexpectedly changing speed and direction, not just smooth.
Small nitpick, commercial jets are designed to be aerodynamically stable. If controls froze briefly, the plane would continue to be stable, flying as it was when the controls froze. You'd need to add in the turbulence or some external force for it to be a problem. That said, the 787 is 100% dependent on electronic controls, so anything more than brief loss of controls would lead to a crash.