Part 1 - Introduction

Introduction
AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

 What is a Flight Control System?
 The system that is used to control the flight of an aircraft is
called flight control system (FCS).
 Modern aircraft include a variety of automatic flight control
systems that aid the flight crew in:
 Augmenting the stability characteristics of the airplane
 Flight Management
 Why do we need a Flight Control System?
 How to develop a Flight Control System?

 In the early days of flying, the FCS was mechanical.
By means of cables and pulleys, the control surfaces
of the aircraft were given the necessary deflections
to control the aircraft.

 However, new technologies brought with it the fly-
by-wire FCS. In this system electrical signals are sent
to the control surfaces. The signals are sent by the
flight (control) computer (FC/FCC). In this way, the
aircraft is controlled.

 However, there also is a downside to FCS. They are only
designed for a certain flight envelope. When the aircraft
is outside of the flight envelope, the system can't really
operate the aircraft anymore. For these situations, we still
need pilots.

Components of an AFCS
 In general Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS)

can be sub-divided into three distinct groups
Sensors
Computers
Output Devices

AFCS Sensors

AFCS Sensors

Attitude Gyro

Magnetic Compass

Pitot Tube System

Accelerometer

Radar Altimeter

Angle of Attack Sensor

Sideslip Sensor

AFCS Computer(s)
 A computer
 has a much higher reaction velocity than a pilot.
 isn't subject to concentration losses and fatigue.
 can more accurately know the state the aircraft is in. (Computers
can handle huge amounts of data better and also don't need to
read a small indicator to know, for example, the velocity or the
height of the aircraft).
 The computation performed in this part of an AFCS

may be very simple or extremely complex,
depending upon the type of system and the
functions to be performed.

AFCS Output Devices/Actuators
 The output signals from the computer must be

converted to produce physical movement of the
control surfaces; this is normally effected through
some form of actuator, utilising either electro-
mechanical, electro-hydraulic. or pneumatic
principles. Not only are there different types of
actuators, but they can also be used in different
configurations, i.e. in series with the flying controls,
parallel to them or a combination of both.

AFCS Output Devices/Actuators
 The design of an actuator depend upon:

 Authority or percentage of control surface movement
effected;
 Size and accuracy of movement for stability and/or
control

Location of the FCS

Location of the FCS

Types of Automatic Flight Control
Systems
 Stability Augmentation Systems
 If an airplane is marginally stable or unstable, automatic
control systems can provide desired handling qualities
 e.g. pitch or yaw damper
 Autopilots
 To reduce pilot workload
 e.g. Attitude, Altitude, Velocity hold control systems
 Navigation e.g. Landing Aids

Typical Flight Control System

Scope
 OHT-1
 Review of Key Concepts
 OHT-2
 Autopilot Design

Marks Distribution
Final 35%
OHTs 30% (15% each)
Quizzes/Assignments/
35%
Project

Books
 Text Books
 “Introduction to Aircraft Flight Mechanics: Performance,
Static Stability, Dynamic Stability, and Classical Feedback
Control” by Thomas R. Yechout
 “Flight Dynamics Principles” by M.V. Cook
 Reference Books
 “Feedback Control of Dynamic Systems” by Gene F.
Franklin
 “Flight Stability and Automatic Control” by Robert C. Nelson

Inner Loop Stability
and Control
Three Broad Categories

 Control Augmentation Systems
 Fly-By-Wire Systems

Stability Augmentation Systems
 These were generally the first feedback control system

designs used to improve dynamic stability characteristics.
They were also referred to as dampers, stabilizers, and
stability augmenters. F-104, T-37, T-38, and F-4 had SAS
T-38

Stability Augmentation Systems
 In these systems generally an aircraft motion parameter,

such as pitch rate feedback, is used to provide a control
deflection that opposes the motion and increases
damping characteristics
Lockheed F-104

Simplified Stability Augmentation System

Stability Augmentation System
 SAS is always ON.
 SAS is not reversible : the pilot doesn't receive feedback.
The reason for this is simple. If the pilot would receive
feedback, the only things he would feel are annoying
vibrations. This is of course undesirable.
 One problem with SAS was the fact that the feedback loop
provided a command that opposed pilot control inputs. As a
result, the aircraft became less responsive for a given stick
input.
 This was typically addressed with the addition of a washout
filter in the feedback loop that attenuated the feedback signal
for constant values of the aircraft motion parameter.

Stability Augmentation System
 Another concern was the limited authority (upto 10%) of

the SAS actuator that was necessitated by safety-of-flight
requirements.
 Despite these concerns, SAS was effective in improving
aircraft flying qualities.

Typical Stability Augmentation System

Control Augmentation System
 The next step in the evolution of aircraft feedback control

was control augmentation systems (CAS).
 CAS added a pilot command input into the flight control
computer. A force sensor on the control stick was usually
used to provide this command input.

 With a CAS, a pilot stick input is provided to the flight

control system in two ways—through the mechanical
system and through the CAS electrical path.
F-111

 The CAS design eliminated the SAS problem of pilot inputs

being opposed by the feedback loop. Aircraft such as
the A-7, F-111,F-14, and F-15 have CAS.
F-14

Simplified Control Augmentation System

 Additional reliability was designed into CAS so that the

control authority could be increased (to approximately
50%).
 With a CAS, the aircraft dynamic response is typically
well-damped, and control response is scheduled with the
control system gains to maintain desirable characteristics
throughout the flight envelope.

 CAS provided dramatic improvements in aircraft

handling qualities. Both dynamic stability and control
response characteristics could be tailored and optimized
to the mission of the aircraft.
A-7D
 One pioneering exploratory development program in the
early 1970s, the A-7D Digital Multimode Flight Control
System Program, developed specific feedback flight
control designs using a CAS and an A-7D aircraft, which
tailored the aircraft’s handling qualities to specific mission
tasks such as air-to-air tracking and air-to-ground
gunnery.
A-7D
Typical Control Augmentation System

Fly by Wire System
 Based on the excellent handling qualities achieved with

CAS, the next logical step in feedback control systems
development was to remove the mechanical control
system and provide the CAS full authority.
 Such systems are known as fly-by-wire (FBW) systems. This
major step involved proving that the reliability of the FBW
system, composed of mostly electrical components, was
equal to or better than the trusted mechanical system.

Fly by Wire System
 To achieve this reliability, triple and quad redundancy in

system components, along with self-test software is used.
Aircraft such as the F-16, C-17, and F-22 have FBW
systems.
Boeing C-17 Globemaster

Fly by Wire System
 The full authority provided by FBW allows very significant

tailoring of stability and control characteristics.
F-16
Fly by Wire System
 This ability has led to FBW systems with several feedback

parameters and weighting of feedback gains based on
flight condition and other parameters.
F-22

Simplified Fly by Wire System

Simplified F-16 Longitudinal FBW System

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Introduction

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

 In general Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS)

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

 The computation performed in this part of an AFCS

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

 The output signals from the computer must be

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

 The design of an actuator depend upon:

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

 Stability Augmentation Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

 These were generally the first feedback control system

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

 In these systems generally an aircraft motion parameter,

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

 Another concern was the limited authority (upto 10%) of

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

 The next step in the evolution of aircraft feedback control

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

 With a CAS, a pilot stick input is provided to the flight

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

 The CAS design eliminated the SAS problem of pilot inputs

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

 Additional reliability was designed into CAS so that the

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

 CAS provided dramatic improvements in aircraft

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

 Based on the excellent handling qualities achieved with

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

 To achieve this reliability, triple and quad redundancy in

Boeing C-17 Globemaster

 The full authority provided by FBW allows very significant

 This ability has led to FBW systems with several feedback

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems

AAE – 342 Flight Control Systems