TURIN and all,
From the NTSB docket on AA 587…..
“On the A300-600, for example, at airspeeds lower than 165 knots (when rudder travel is unrestricted by the airplane’s rudder limiter system) the rudder can travel +/-30°, requiring a pilot force of about 65 pounds to move the rudder pedals about 4.0 inches. However, at 250 knots, when the limiter restricts rudder travel to about +/-9.3°, a pilot force of about 32 pounds is required to move the rudder pedals about 1.3 inches. The rudder system on the A300-600 uses a breakout force6 of about 22 pounds. Thus, at 250 knots, the rudder can reach full available travel (9.3°) with a pedal force of only 10 pounds over the breakout force”.
A description of this bizarre rudder limiting system can be found at:
http://www.ntsb.gov/events/2001/AA58...its/241835.pdf