11/30/2012. The Beaufighter always suffered from low frequency longitudinal instability, particularly on the climb; it was more pronounced on the Beaufighter Mk.II which was slightly tail heavy and various remedies were tried, including a wide tail plane with end-plate fins and rudders on R2268 and a 12° dihedral tail plane on R2057. The latter was effective, but made the Beaufighter rather too stable for night-fighting, so Fighter Command squadrons generally preferred the flat tail plane in spite of its discomforts.