Quotes from OK465:
"Having the SS full aft doesn't necessarily equate to full ANU elevator or any specific elevator position at all."
I don't recall anyone arguing here that it does.
"Though I don't have the luxury of an AOA gage, as long as there exists some residual elevator authority (i.e. elevator not pegged full ANU), the FCS can 'move' the nose resulting in a flight path change commensurate with thrust applied."
To "move the nose" up = instantaneous increase of AoA.
"The range of AOA that's available to the FCS to generate a pitch rate, I can't see on a cockpit gage unfortunately..."
Yes. BTW, is there a read-out on the sim-instructor panel?
"...but observed on FFS flight package diagnostics, ostensibly from flight test data, overshoots and undershoots from the stabilized Alphamax value appear to occur during vertical transitions due to thrust changes....but no more than a couple knots IAS variation depending on rate of thrust application or reduction."
Now that
is interesting... And reminiscent of the
Gordon Corps video, in which the AoA does vary noticeably - despite his steady application of full back-stick (as discussed on this thread from January 2nd).
It suggests that the EFCS may keep a degree or two in hand - short of alpha-max - to allow the pilot a small increase in pitch to deliver an increase in AoA. That would provide an increase in lift to deliver the increase in Nz involved in any flare manoeuvre.