Re: REFLECTOR: elevator cuffs

[aegerter@dataway.ch (Simon Aegerter)]

> Remember what happened years ago when the
>test pilot pushed the STD with a gap seal on the elevator?

Allan:

yes and that's what has always confused me about this subject, but maybe
it's only my poor comand of the English language. Here's the pertinent
excerpt from the NTSB file:

THE ACFT WAS RECOVERED & AN EXAM REVEALED THAT THE CANARD GAP SEALS WHICH
HAD BEEN INSTALLED TO ENHANCE PITCH AUTHORITY OF THE CANARD ON THE PREV
FLT, WERE STILL IN PLACE DUE TO AN OVERSIGHT. WITH THE GAP SEALS INSTALLED,
THE CANARD PITCH AUTHORITY EXCEEDED THE AUTHORITY OF THE WING.
Probable Cause
FAILURE THROUGH AN OVERSIGHT TO REMOVE THE CANARD GAP SEALS PRIOR TO
AGGRAVATED STALL TESTING WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT ENTERING AN
UNCONTROLLABLE FLIGHT REGIME.

Now, are the "cuffs" not designed to "seal the gap" or what, if that logic
is flawed, IS a gap seal?

See my problem? The NTSB says the elevator had too much authority because
the gap seals (aka cuffs) were in place; you say removing the cuffs makes
for more elevator authority.

I think you have it right and the NTSB has it wrong, - but who am I?

What am I missing??

Could it be that "canard pitch authority" and "elevator authority" are two
entirely different things that are affected in opposite ways by the cuffs?

Best
Simon

Simon Aegerter, Winterthur, Switzerland