The EFCS will not maintain more than VaMAX, even if the sidestick is held full aft.

The EFCS will not maintain more than VaMAX, even if the sidestick is held full aft.

• A. Not specified
• B. Sometimes
• C. False
• D. True

Answer: (D)

VaMAX is the maneuvering speed that defines the envelope’s safe limit for load factor. In the A320’s EFCS normal law, protections are applied to keep the airplane inside that envelope. The sidestick is a command input to the flight control system, but the system translates that input into elevator authority within the envelope. If holding full aft would push the aircraft toward a load or attitude beyond what VaMAX allows, the EFCS caps the elevator demand and constraints the response to stay within the safe limits. So even with the sidestick fully aft, the aircraft cannot be maintained at a condition exceeding VaMAX. This protective behavior depends on being in normal law and the current configuration; in degraded or alternate law these protections may be reduced or different, but under typical normal-law operations the statement is true.

VaMAX is the maneuvering speed that defines the envelope’s safe limit for load factor. In the A320’s EFCS normal law, protections are applied to keep the airplane inside that envelope. The sidestick is a command input to the flight control system, but the system translates that input into elevator authority within the envelope. If holding full aft would push the aircraft toward a load or attitude beyond what VaMAX allows, the EFCS caps the elevator demand and constraints the response to stay within the safe limits. So even with the sidestick fully aft, the aircraft cannot be maintained at a condition exceeding VaMAX. This protective behavior depends on being in normal law and the current configuration; in degraded or alternate law these protections may be reduced or different, but under typical normal-law operations the statement is true.