Let's talk about that missing rudder of Flydubai 1073 B737 MAX 8.
Terrorism · · Flydubai
Let's talk about that missing rudder of Flydubai 1073 B737 MAX 8.
The aerodynamic forces involved may have been large enough to cause rudder failure through aerodynamic flutter during the extreme overspeed.
The aircraft descended more than 14,000 ft in under 30 seconds.
Even without significant rudder deflection, the loads could potentially damage or tear apart the control surface.
Massive overspeed + an extremely high descent rate could generate side loads far exceeding the tail’s structural design limits.
And the fact that the aircraft apparently did not lose the entire vertical stabilizer is a miracle. The rudder is attached to the trailing edge of the vertical stabilizer and moves left or right to control yaw.
In normal operation, the pilot controls the rudder using the rudder pedals or rudder trim control. The yaw damper and wheel-to-rudder interconnect system also automatically control rudder movement.
The authority limiter reduces maximum rudder movement. At specified airspeeds, the FSEU opens the main rudder PCU authority-limiter solenoid valve, limiting the hydraulic force produced by the PCU and therefore limiting rudder authority.
So, when we look at the missing rudder, the key question is: what loads was that rudder subjected to during the extreme descent and overspeed?
The exact failure mechanism still needs to be established by investigators.
Source: @Turbine Traveller
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