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Old 04-01-2014 | 09:01 AM
  #42  
UStik
 
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Augsburg, GERMANY
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Hm, hadn't the 727 a moving stab for trim and conventional elevators? Of course I agree it had the vortex generators to keep the airflow attached in spite of the sharp kink on the elevator hinge line. The Fieseler Storch even had a slat on the elevator's bottom just behind the hinge line for the same reason. That resulted in both more elevator effect and less stick force.

A full-moving stabilizer (stabilator?) is a mysterious thing for many pilots, at least that is my impression. It must be handled in a different way from conventional elevators. Even during normal landings the deflection needed is quite small. Full deflection (to the stop) is needed only on rare occasions like full-stalled (non-standard) landings when the whole airplane flies with much pitch. In that case, full up stabilator is reached only after slowly pulling more and more during flare. But it's easy to just pull the yoke/stick fully back in a still low-pitch attitude and thus stall the stabilator. That way it is feasible only for the seasoned pilot. Some manufacturers provided kind of trim tabs along the trailing edge which deflect in the same direction to make for both some camber and stick force (which is lacking otherwise). Others try to prevent stabilator stall by slats, slots, or vortex generators. Either way, the average pilot should now be able to handle it.