On 2005-08-25, RST Engineering wrote:
With NO changes in engine horsepower, NO changes in wing design, NO changes
in nothing else except a net NEGATIVE CHANGE in rudder area ...

How (in an engineering sense) did they do that?

There was another change - limiting the flap extension (IIRC) from 40
degrees to 30 degrees. Part of what decides gross weight is go around
performance with full flaps. You can get a 100lb gross weight increase
in some models of C172 just by limiting the flap extension to 30 degrees
with a plate that prevents you moving the flap switch past the 30
degrees setting.

--
Dylan Smith, Castletown, Isle of Man
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"Maintain thine airspeed, lest the ground come up and smite thee"