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the image to enlarge
The area around the actuator hinges
exhibits the most damage to the rudder. The same tearing left
to right as seen around hinge 1 can be seen here. Photos of the
port side actuator hinge cover shows considerable damage. This
would indicate that when the actuator rudder hinges separated
they tore through the hinge cover toward the port side.
From photographs it can be seen that most of the rudder hinges remained attached to vertical stabilizer after the rudder broke. If the actuators remained in the 9.5 starboard position I interpret the separation of the actuator hinges as seen in (figure 9).
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click the images to enlarge
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It is difficult to determine exactly how the area around the
actuators broke, however, given the extent of the damage considerable
force must have been exerted upon it. One possible explanation,
(figure 10), for the damage is that the area around the actuator
hinges is quite wide and hollow, a potentially weak area of the
rudder. When the hinges broke away from the rudder and the upper
portion of the rudder separated this wide area would have been
exposed to the slipstream and quite possibly ìblownî
apart by the onrushing air. Conversely it is also possible, though
I think less likely, that the damage done occurred when the rudder
hit the water.
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