Originally Posted by
FCeng84
I'm glad to be able to provide some clarity. MCAS operates as a function of AOA with no regard to column position. As you state, "MCAS is to essentially negate lift (more specifically pitching moment) of the engine cowling". By cancelling out the nose up pitching moment from the cowling with increased AOA, MCAS smooths out the overall Cm-alpha (pitching moment vs. AOA) characteristic of the airplane so that column required to command a maneuver to high AOA does not decrease along the way.
Understood. But if the (sole?) purpose is to "smooth out of the overall Cm-alpha characteristic of the airplane so that column required to command a maneuver to high AOA does not decrease along the way", then why does it trim AND with no column input at all? It appears to be a design to have the primary (or only?) effect of mimicking a condition on the column. if so - why have it operate in the absence of a pull on the column?