The rudder limiter uses inputs from the ___ and ___ to provide protection from overstress and prevent excessive side slip

• A. Flap/Slat position and airspeed
• B. Aileron deflection and yaw rate
• C. Rudder pedal force and bank angle
• D. Elevator position and tailwind

Answer: (A)

Rudder limiter works by capping how much the rudder can move based on current flight conditions to prevent structural overload and excessive sideslip. The two key inputs it uses are flap/slat position and airspeed. Flaps and slats alter the aircraft’s aerodynamic behavior and the loads the tail can safely experience; when flaps are extended, the airplane is more prone to sideslip and higher tail loads, so the limiter reduces allowable rudder deflection accordingly. Airspeed directly affects dynamic pressure; at higher speeds, even small yaw efforts can generate large stresses, so the limiter tightens the rudder limit with speed. By combining these two inputs, the system ensures the rudder cannot command more than is safe for the current configuration. The other inputs don’t provide the necessary context about aerodynamic load and stability margins for this protection, such as aileron position, yaw rate, pedal force, bank angle, elevator position, or tailwind, which aren’t used to determine safe rudder authority.