The aileron gust lock system lets the ailerons to be locked in the neutral position from the flight compartment. This is necessary because the aileron circuit has no hydraulically-energized controls (as in the elevator and rudder circuits) which lock the control surfaces. This protects the ailerons from movement and possible damage when the aircraft is parked in a strong wind.

The aileron gust lock system has an interface with the following component:

• Throttle Quadrant

The control lever is found at the front edge of the throttle quadrant. To move the lever out from its stowed (OFF) position, the latch on the lever must be released. When the lever is lifted to operate the gust lock mechanism, the throttle levers cannot move forward away from the idle position. A latch mechanism in the control lever holds the lever in the position where the gust lock is engaged (ON). To disengage the gust lock, the latch on the lever must be released and then the lever can move forward. The lever is then stowed back into the throttle quadrant.

The control lever connects to a push-pull cable which transmits the movement to the wire cables through a cable guide. After they pass over different pulleys under the cabin floor the wire cables attach to the gust lock mechanism.

The gust lock mechanism is installed adjacent to the aileron LH drive quadrant. The mechanism has a crank, a torsion spring, a pawl, and two balance springs. When the control lever moves the gust lock to the engaged position, the pawl engages in a recess in a cam on the aileron LH drive quadrant. This locks the drive quadrant.

The gust lock pawl is mounted on the crank. A torsion spring helps the pawl to lock in the engaged position. A mechanical stop in the crank prevents movement of the pawl. When the control lever is pulled to the engage (ON) position, the wire cables pull the crank and release the mechanical stop. This allows the torsion spring to move the pawl down. If the torsion spring becomes defective, the mechanical stop will hold the pawl in the unlocked position.

The two balance springs, which are attached to the crank, unlock the mechanism as the control lever releases the tension in the wire cables. The springs keep the pawl out of the cam recess if a wire cable breaks.