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.
Are we looking at different pictures?
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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