Old Smokey: the DC-9 uses the left hydraulic system, after pushing far full forward on the yoke, to actuate the elevator control tabs up, that is, to the full nose down position. With loss of the left hyd. system, the elev. accumulator should give one or (is it?) two actuations.
The US FAA (regulators) never required aircraft builders to install an accurate angle-of-attack system. The present windshear warning system only reacts to a dangerous microburst (heavy downdraft due to masses of cool air). It can even give a very brief false warning during normal gusty winds. A stall warning can even go off for a split second with almost no turbulence during on-speed flap or slat retraction (with wings level).
Some major US airlines each have dozens of 'mainline' (aircraft with 100 seats or more) planes which have no stickpushers. Pilots claim that an inexperienced pilot can fly a newer Airbus with no chance of stalling, overspeeding or overstressing the plane. They and the aviation magazine pilot evaluations, published in "Aviation Week & ST" etc, claim that computers prevent this. This might also be the case with the new Embraer jets.
As for puzzling automation (to me
): An A-330 demonstration flight years ago at the factory in Toulouse, France was somehow allowed to enter a high rate of climb
with one throttle at idle and stalled and/or "VMC-rolled" and soon crashed. Two helpless Italian pilots were a captive audience on the jumpseats.
. One day when I am willing to give up lots of seniority in order to fly the Airbus, I will look forward to finding out what mode or combination of "FLCH" or "VNAV/ VS" type modes can result in this. I don't remember the 757 having this capability, whether with both engines at takeoff power or just one. In the simulators with an engine failure at V1, we hand flew the plane at V2 to about 1,000', from what I remember.