A rotary vane actuator (100, 800, 900, 1000, 1100) comprising: a stator (210, 470, 830, 1030) having at least one stator vane (470, 832, 932, 1032) projecting from an inner circumferential surface of a central chamber of the stator; and a rotor (220, 410, 720, 850, 1050) having at least one rotor vane projecting from a central rotatable longitudinal shaft, said rotor rotatably disposed in the stator, said rotor vane including a sealing element (432, 1132) disposed on a distal end of the rotor vane and said sealing element adapted to contact the inner circumferential surface of the stator; wherein said rotor vane is adapted to contact said stator vane at a hard stop position, and a high pressure chamber (460, 760, 802, 902, 1002) is defined by the stator and a first side of the rotor vane and a low pressure chamber (460, 760, 802, 902, 1002) is defined by the stator and a second side of the rotor vane; wherein said actuator further includes at least a first aperture (510, 615a, 1042, 842, 940, 942a) connectable to the high pressure chamber and said actuator includes at least a second aperture (512, 615b, 1040a, 840b, 942b, 940a) connectable to the low pressure chamber; and wherein a fluid flow passage (514, 520, 614, 820, 920, 1020) is provided at said hard stop position where the rotor vane contacts the stator vane and connects the first aperture in the high pressure chamber to the second aperture in the low pressure chamber when the sealing element (432, 1132) is within a predetermined rotational distance of the hard stop position to provide a leakage flow but does not connect the high pressure chamber to the low pressure chamber when the sealing element (432, 1132) is beyond the predetermined rotational distance so as to provide no leakage flow, and wherein the fluid flow passage (514, 520, 614, 820, 920, 1020) comprises a gap (820, 920, 1020) between an outer surface of the stator and a housing of the actuator, or a groove (820, 920, 1020) in an outer surface of the stator, or a groove (820, 920, 1020) in an inner surface of a housing of the actuator adjacent to the stator, or a groove in the central rotatable longitudinal shaft adjacent to the rotor vane, or a bore in the stator, or a bore in a housing (254, 110) of the actuator, or a gap between the distal end of the rotor vane and the inner circumferential surface of the stator, or a gap between the inner circumferential surface of the stator and the sealing element. a stator (210, 470, 830, 1030) having at least one stator vane (470, 832, 932, 1032) projecting from an inner circumferential surface of a central chamber of the stator; and a rotor (220, 410, 720, 850, 1050) having at least one rotor vane projecting from a central rotatable longitudinal shaft, said rotor rotatably disposed in the stator, said rotor vane including a sealing element (432, 1132) disposed on a distal end of the rotor vane and said sealing element adapted to contact the inner circumferential surface of the stator; wherein said rotor vane is adapted to contact said stator vane at a hard stop position, and a high pressure chamber (460, 760, 802, 902, 1002) is defined by the stator and a first side of the rotor vane and a low pressure chamber (460, 760, 802, 902, 1002) is defined by the stator and a second side of the rotor vane; wherein said actuator further includes at least a first aperture (510, 615a, 1042, 842, 940, 942a) connectable to the high pressure chamber and said actuator includes at least a second aperture (512, 615b, 1040a, 840b, 942b, 940a) connectable to the low pressure chamber; and wherein a fluid flow passage (514, 520, 614, 820, 920, 1020) is provided at said hard stop position where the rotor vane contacts the stator vane and connects the first aperture in the high pressure chamber to the second aperture in the low pressure chamber when the sealing element (432, 1132) is within a predetermined rotational distance of the hard stop position to provide a leakage flow but does not connect the high pressure chamber to the low pressure chamber when the sealing element (432, 1132) is beyond the predetermined rotational distance so as to provide no leakage flow, and wherein the fluid flow passage (514, 520, 614, 820, 920, 1020) comprises a gap (820, 920, 1020) between an outer surface of the stator and a housing of the actuator, or a groove (820, 920, 1020) in an outer surface of the stator, or a groove (820, 920, 1020) in an inner surface of a housing of the actuator adjacent to the stator, or a groove in the central rotatable longitudinal shaft adjacent to the rotor vane, or a bore in the stator, or a bore in a housing (254, 110) of the actuator, or a gap between the distal end of the rotor vane and the inner circumferential surface of the stator, or a gap between the inner circumferential surface of the stator and the sealing element.