Introduction to Aircraft Design and Aviation Systems (ENG3005)

Fight Control System

1. Introduction

x Modern aircraft is a complex machine with a lot of electrical, electronic, mechanical,

hydraulic or a combination of them. . This section will introduce some of its functions. Due
to the complexity, each of its function can be classified as a “system”.
x Basically, The electrical system based on electrical power or electronic control and with
mechanical and other control units, we will focus more on the electrical and control parts.
x In this topic, we will concentrate on the fight related control electrical unit. Without these
parts, the airplane will not be able to leave the ground.
x Besides the electric system to provide the electrical energy discussed before, there are fight
control system. The following will

x Flight Control Linkage

x Hydraulic Components
x Environmental Control

Fig 1. The various control related to the fight system

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Introduction to Aircraft Design and Aviation Systems (ENG3005)

2. Flight Control Linkage

Fig 2: The X-Y-Z 3D view of aircraft flight

x Aircraft flies on a 3D terrain (X, Y, and Z)

x If the aircraft wishes to head into a new direction, it must make a turn (or a roll) on one of
the X, Y, aor Z axis.
x Roll(along Y axis); pitch (along X axis); yaw (along z axis).
x The above are called Primary Flight Control.
x Secondary Flight Control refers to control of aircraft flight other than Primary Flight
Control.

Fig 3: The primary and secondary fight control surface

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Introduction to Aircraft Design and Aviation Systems (ENG3005)

2.1 The primary flight controls

The primary fight control is the ailerons, elevators, and rudder.

Fig 4 – A simplified diagram for Flight control surfaces on airliner

• Roll – Ailerons
• Yaw – Rudder
• Pitch – Elevators

A further evolution of the servo-assisted control is the fly-by-wire technique, based on signal
processing of the pilot’s demand before conversion into actuator control.

The number and type of aerodynamic surfaces to be controlled changes with aircraft category.
Fig. 3 and 4 show the classic layout for a conventional airliner. Aircraft has a number of different
control surfaces:

The primary flight control (Red, for colour print) , i.e. pitch, roll and yaw control, basically
obtained by deflection of elevators, ailerons and rudder (and combinations of them); The
secondary fight control (blue, for color print) indicated in blue for the secondary flight control:
high-lift and lift-dump devices, airbrakes, tail trimming, etc

2.2 Secondary Fight control

They include wing flaps, slats, spoilers, air brakes and variable-sweep wings. The secondary
controls available to give the pilot finer control over flight or to ease the workload.

3. Power actuated systems

There are a number of actuation units, besides the primary and secondary fight control, there are

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Introduction to Aircraft Design and Aviation Systems (ENG3005)

pump and other motion control. Flight Control Linkage has the following examples:
x Push-pull control rod (small planes)
x Hydraulically linked (larger planes)
x Fly by wire (advanced planes)

3.1 Push-pull control rod

Fig 5: A push-pull rod control linkage (Hawk 200)

It is a simple and classical system. It is all-mechanical and is suitable for small aircraft and low
cost solution

Other similar system also use: Cables and pulleys, sometimes motor assisted for larger plane.

3.2 Hydraulic control

A few control surfaces on board are operated by electrical motors. The hydraulic system has
demonstrated for actuation in terms of weight per unit power and flexibility, with respect to the

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Introduction to Aircraft Design and Aviation Systems (ENG3005)

electrical system, then becoming the common tendency on most modern airplanes: the pilot, via
the cabin components, sends a signal, or demand, to a valve that opens ports through which high
pressure hydraulic fluid flows and operates one or more actuators.

Fig 6: Example of hydraulic linkage in BAE 146

Comment: large force, mature technology, reliable and good response

3.3 Electrical actuation

The hydraulic system requires considerable maintenance. The reliability is good, however, the
oil involved requires good monitoring and “dirty”.
For the last 20 decades, replacing the mechanical linkages to the valves with electrical controls,
producing the "fly-by-wire" design, and more recently, optical networking systems in what is
known as "fly-by-light".
The combination of the hydraulic system with electric motor control is also used frequently in
aircraft. They are known as electro-hydraulic actuation.

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Introduction to Aircraft Design and Aviation Systems (ENG3005)

4. Engine Control

For jet engine planes, engine control requires the control of the following:
x Fuel flow - to allow the change of engine speeds at will.
x Air flow – to allow the engine to be operated efficiently, and with large safety margin.
x Exhaust Gas Flow – to burn the exhaust gas and vary the nozzle area to obtain extra
thrust.

Fig 7: Schematic of engine control system in aircrafts

Inputs: 1) throttle pedal position; 2) air speed and altitude data; 3) overall temperature; 4) engine
speed; 5) engine temperature; 6) nozzle position (for afterburner jets); 7) fuel flow; 8)
pressure position.

Outputs: 1) fuel flow control using solenoid, or torque motor, or stepper motor; 2) air flow
control using variable guide vanes or valves

The power level of the motor related system is of high power. The pump is of scale of tens to
100 kW for large aircraft

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Introduction to Aircraft Design and Aviation Systems (ENG3005)

Fig 9: The use of electric pump system

A full authority control system as shown above in Fig 9 with electrically control signaling
FCU- fuel control unit
TGT- turbine gas temperature
NH- speed of rotation of engine
T1- intake total temperature
Comments: sophisticated; more electrical; control engine through motor or actuator; All of them
are driven –by wire. The users will not need to feel for engine!

A number of locations need motor drive system.

References:

Ian Moir & Allan Seabridge, “Aircraft Systems,” 2nd Edition, Professional Engineering
Publishing, 2001.