Originally Posted by
ignorantAndroid
The
NTSB report discusses the designs used on various types. It starts on page 26 (page 40 on the PDF). If you scroll down a couple of pages, there's a table of figures.
The 737 doesn't have a rudder ratio changer like the later Boeing types. The ratio of rudder travel to pedal travel should be constant. It has what the NTSB called a force limit system. There's no specific rudder travel limit for a given airspeed, instead there's a limit on the force applied by the actuator. That means that in theory, it should be resistant, if not immune, to the type of failure that happened with AA587. If you put it in a left sideslip and then slam the rudder to the right, the rudder simply wouldn't travel as far as it usually would. The ultimate structural load wouldn't be exceeded. Apparently the DC-10 and MD-11 also use a similar design.
The funny thing is, that Boeing actually published a TIB in the aftermath basically saying: if you act as stupid as that pilot the same thing will happen (multiple repeated full travel inputs will lead to structural failure). Back then i was still on the 737-300/500, but it was still in the FCOM once we moved to the NG.