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Old 16th Jun 2014, 16:13
  #161 (permalink)  
areobat
 
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That possibility has crossed my mind. However, during my initial maintenance training on the G-IV many years ago, we were told that the hydraulic actuators are capable of producing more than enough force to shear the lock latches right off of their mounting brackets if the associated flight controls are moved forcefully in the cockpit. One reason why the checklist calls for the control lock lever to be released before engine start.

I don't know about the aileron and elevator locks, but there have apparently been several incidents in the G-IVs history of flight crews breaking the rudder control lock by pressing a rudder pedal after engine start with the lock lever still engaged.

Though, that probably would be easy to do, as the rudder has the largest and most powerful hydraulic actuator in the entire flight control system.
I'm sure that is true when the aircraft is either not moving or moving slowly and the air pressure on the control surfaces is zero or near zero. But what happens around Vr speeds when the aerodynamic forces on the elevator and other control surfaces are quite high? Under these conditions, the hydraulic actuator(s) has to over come the aerodynamic force plus the force necessary to "shear" the locking pin. It may be that the sum of these two forces was greater than that which the hydraulics could supply. Just a thought.

Last edited by areobat; 16th Jun 2014 at 16:14. Reason: typo
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