Oh. Turns out, we were looking at different pictures! You’re right, that one with the flaps retracted does kinda just look like it’s the skin. I was looking at the one with the flaps deployed, where it’s much more obvious that the core of the flap is missing.
Flying while missing a whole tail rudder is entirely doable. A hole in a wing just isn’t as serious.
I’ll give you that, but what you said was that it was just the skin peeling
It looked like peeling skin on my phone. ¯\ _(ツ) _/¯
Oh. Turns out, we were looking at different pictures! You’re right, that one with the flaps retracted does kinda just look like it’s the skin. I was looking at the one with the flaps deployed, where it’s much more obvious that the core of the flap is missing.
That depends on how it affects near-stall flight.
The most efficient cruise that is legal, is 1.30x stall-speed.
If that damage on the leading portion of the wing means your “1.30x” stall-speed cruise is now actually 1.00x, you’re gambling.
There was a DC9 that killed everybody because of pebbled ice wrecking its actual-stall-speed, years ago.
Landing also requires that you dance at the edge of stall, & if your idea of where stall-speed is, is wrong, …
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