A-330 ailerons

Gord Beaman wrote:
What goes around comes around? in the mid fifties the RCAF
acquired an ASW aircraft called the Argus...it was a much
modified Bristol Britannia and had 'floating controls'. They were
free floating and were controlled by 'tabs' on their trailing
edges. When at rest the ailerons hung down (both of them!) at
about 45 degrees and when the 'gust locks' were on they both
reared up about the same. The elevators both hung down 30 0r 40
degrees when unlocked and were straight back when locked, the
rudder was straight back when locked and was 'where-ever it
damned well wanted' when unlocked...quite weird...got many tower
controllers (and airline pilots) in a knot.

Doesn't the DC-9 work this way too? I have a vague recollection of
talking to a DC-9 pilot who explained the system to me -- mechanical
interconnections to servo tabs, with the main surfaces floating free.

Or is my memory faulty?

(Roy Smith) wrote
Doesn't the DC-9 work this way too? I have a vague recollection of
talking to a DC-9 pilot who explained the system to me -- mechanical
interconnections to servo tabs, with the main surfaces floating free.

Don't know about the DC-9, but the B-707 worked that way.

Bob Moore
PanAm(retired)

Bob Moore wrote:

(Roy Smith) wrote
Doesn't the DC-9 work this way too? I have a vague recollection of
talking to a DC-9 pilot who explained the system to me -- mechanical
interconnections to servo tabs, with the main surfaces floating free.

Don't know about the DC-9, but the B-707 worked that way.

Bob Moore
PanAm(retired)

Really?, I'd have thought that the 707 (and maybe DC-9 too) would
have had powered controls?...
--

-Gord.
(use gordon in email)

Gord Beaman wrote
Really?, I'd have thought that the 707 (and maybe DC-9 too) would
have had powered controls?...

Rudder...yes, Ailerons and Elevator...no.
In fact, the two elevators were not connected to each other. It was
not unusual to see a taxing 707 with one elevator up and the other
one down. Each positioned by a control tab, the left one by the left
yoke and the right one by the right yoke. The two yokes were connected
under the cockpit by a coupler that would slip if forced. Airflow
would cause the tabs to "fly" the elevators to the commanded position.
The ailerons operated in a somewhat similiar fashion.

Bob Moore
ATP B-707 B-727
PanAm (retired)