Originally Posted by bearfoil
An airload that could be responsible for the removal of 447's fin could be drag alone, in overspeed, with an overswept Rudder. Such drag would put a great load on the aft bracket downward into the fuselage
The aerodynamics of the vertical tailplane are similar to those of a wing: the drag force is of the order of one-twentieth of the sideforce (lift). And, as you say:
The side to side is captured by a narrow breadth of lug to lug span, the longitudinal by the distance of the saddles fore to aft.
EDIT:: I.e. 0.8 m laterally vs 2.5 m longitudinally. Therefore the lug force due to aerodynamic side force is 50 - 60 times greater than that due to aerodynamic drag.