Well it actually dates waaaaayyyy back. The X-15 for instance (first flight 1959) already had an aileron rudder interconnection (named YAR) and a 3-axes stability augmentation system.
Stability augmentation has become a must with aircraft for which speed ranged from 100 knots to mach 3 (if only in the form of artificial feel).
So yes a form of ARI is expected on the Su-27, and mentionned in the flight manual too (so, yes combatace, I guess it is normal to see the interconnection even in the latest update :smilewink:).
What I *really* find annoying is the way the ARI will induce dutch roll, if anything because roll is not kept in check by the FCS even in the latest update. Once again, my bets are on insufficient controller gain at low speed for roll control law (generally in roll rate vs. stick deflection). A simple proportional controller for deflection vs. roll rate (and gain adjusted to IAS), helped by a Ny law for rudder deflection can do a fair business, but it is all the better if eagle dynamics has access to a more accurate description of the FCS
As it is, low speed handling is just a pain, and that really feels weird to me because
a/ Airliners are actually better behaved with much larger inertia (and that's first hand experience on full flight simulator)
b/ I would not like to go on an airshow demo with such a behavior. The wing drop after a stall is just appalling and darn hard to control. Don't even think about hornet walk in that bird... Oh wait .. Low speed low altitude pass is part of any airshow routine :)
But then again it's all a matter of taste. A lot of people seem to enjoy the extra challenge. It sure has become an interesting thing to throw around, but I hardly believe the soviet air force flight test center would accept such poor low speed handling in a fighter that reaches operational squadrons.
If somebody could find us a MiG-29/Su-27 pilot to give first hand feed back, and I will be more than happy to accept his/her word !