Flight control
system
• When top speeds advance into transonic region complex and sophisticated methods
are needed to control flights.
• transonic refers to the condition of flight in which a range of velocities of airflow exist
surrounding and flowing past an air vehicle that are concurrently below and above
the speed of sound in the range of Mach 0.8 to 1.0, i.e. 965–1,236 km/h (600–
768 mph) at sea level
• Many high performance aircraft experienced roll/yaw-coupled oscillations commonly
called Dutch-roll
solved with auto stabilization systems
yaw dampers
• Current technology removes the linkage between pilot and flight control actuators and
makes everything automatic.
• “fly-by-wire” is the recent development which can detect failures.
Principle of flight control
• Motion of aircraft is defined in relation to translational motion and rotational
motion around a fixed set of defined axes.
• Translational motion is where a vehicle travels from one point to another in
space.
• Rotational motion relates to the motion of aircraft around three defined axes:
pitch, roll, and yaw.
Principle of flight control cont..
• For many flights, aircraft will be flying straight and level, so velocity
vector will be parallel to the surface of the earth.
• If the aircraft has to climb, flight control system is required to rotate
the aircraft around the pitch axis(OX).
• In fixed wing aircrafts, to alter the heading, a turn is executed to align
the aircraft on OY axis(roll axis). This change in heading is actually a
rotation around the yaw axis(OZ).
• Difference between climb and turn is that the climb only involves
rotation around one axis whereas the turn involves simultaneous
coordination of two axes.
Primary flight control(for fighter
aircraft)
• There are 2 types of aircraft:
1. Agile fighter aircraft
2. Typical modern commercial airliner.
• Primary flight control(for fighter aircraft)
• Pitch control is provided by the moving canard surfaces or foreplanes
located on either side of the cockpit.
• Otherwise the aircraft would be uncontrollable and would crash in a
matter of seconds.
• Roll control is provided by the differential motion of the foreplanes.
• To roll to the right, the left foreplane is raised relative to the airflow
generating greater lift than before and the right foreplane moves
downwards.
• Yaw control is provided by the single rudder section.
• Figure shows airbus A320
• Pitch control is exercised by four elevators located on the trailing
edge of the tailplane.(horizontal)
• Tailplane-powered by two or more actuators
• Roll control is provided by two aileron sections located on the trailing
edge of each wing
• During a right turn the spoilers on the inside wing of the turn, will be
extended. This reduces the lift of the right wing causing it to drop
• Yaw control is provided by three independent rudder sections located
on the trailing edge of the fin(vertical)
• damp out unpleasant “dutch roll” oscillations-causing discomfort to
the passengers seated at the rear of aircraft
• Secondary flight control
• Flap control is effected by several flap sections located on the wing
trailing edges
• Flaps during take-off or landing extends rearwards and downwards to
increase wing area thereby increasing lift for a given speed.
• Number of flap sections may vary. For A320 there would be 5 per
wing, making a total of 10
• Slat control is provided by leading edge slats, which extend forward
and outwards from the wing-5 slat sections per wing, making a total
of 10.
• Speed-brakes are deployed when all the over-wing spoilers are
extended together which has the effect of reducing lift as well as
increasing drag.
• Flight Control Actuation:
• Fly-by-wire and active control units are the new flight systems advent.
• Actuation is important for the flight control system to attain its
specified performance-power actuation
• Types:
• Simple mechanical actuation, hydraulically powered.
• Mechanical actuation with simple electromechanical features.
• Multiple redundant electromechanical actuation with analogue
control inputs and feedback.
Simple mechanical/Hydraulic Actuation
Conventional Linear Actuator
• This is powered by one of the aircraft hydraulic systems-blue channel
• A mechanically operated servo valve (SV) directs the hydraulic supply
to the appropriate side of the piston ram.
• when pilot feeds a mechanical input to the flight control actuator- the
summing link rotates about the bottom pivot-applies an input to SV.
• Hydraulic fluid then flows into one side of the ram and exiting from
the other side resulting in movement of ram in a direction the pilot
commands.
• As the ram moves, the feedback link will rotate the summing link
about the upper pivot returning the SV to the null position
• The actuators themselves have a simple reversion mode following
failure. This mode is called aerodynamic centring.
Mechanical Actuation with Electrical Signaling :
