AERO 201

AERO 201
Laboratory at LESIAQ
Student manual

Updated: Nov 2020

This document is for personal use in this

Lab Instructors: lab only. It may not be distributed,
published or broadcast, in whole or in part,
Susan Liscouët-Hanke without the express permission.
Alexandre Ferreira Benevides
 The self-guided visit - overview

 Visit the rig in teams of

two (2) students
 Use this lab manual and
the audio recordings for
each station
 Follow the different
stations
 Change station after 10
minutes
 Ask questions at the end
 After the visit: analyze
the test data & submit
through Moodle

The audio files are available at:

https://users.encs.concordia.ca/~slhanke/AERO201_LESIAQLab/ 2
Purpose of an ISTR / Iron Bird

An iron bird is an integration test rig. It typically integrates the so-

called hydro-mechanical systems, i.e., the flight control systems and
all systems connected to the hydraulic power system (such as
landing gear actuation and thrust reversers). The ISTR also
reproduces the cockpit interface to control the integrated systems
and includes their required avionics and electrical power supply.
As separate system suppliers develop the various systems, the
aircraft manufacturer needs to ensure they work properly together.
The primary purpose is to test the various flight-critical systems
integrated on the ground at full scale. The systems are precisely
laid out as in the aircraft. The structural attachments are
geometrically reproduced as in the real aircraft. Loads on the control
systems are reproduced through a load simulation system.
The iron bird is used before the first flight, during the flight test
campaign (to test failure scenarios), and after entry-into-service for
troubleshooting.

AERO 201
3
susan.liscouet-hanke@concordia.ca
S0: Safety station

 Take a blue helmet & safety glasses

 Remember location of eyewash, safety shower, two exits
 Be mindful of hazard:
 Pay attention to stairs and loose floor panels
 Skydrol is hazardous: do not touch anything (except in the
Cockpit)
 Watch your head

 Please take notes

 Pictures are allowed – as long as you
use them for this course (do not post
on the internet, social media etc.)

4
 S1-1: Cockpit Listen to S1-1 Cockpit.m4a

Aircraft simulation Test rig cameras

Pilot seat &

inceptors

Co-pilot seat &

inceptors

Cockpit control- close up view

Identify the cockpit inceptors and their movement to control

o Roll :_____________________________________
o Pitch :____________________________________
o Yaw :_____________________________________
5
S1-2: Cockpit Listen to S1-2_PilotControls.m4a

Activity: move controls

Warning: Look at camera screens to make sure no people are near control surfaces before
moving
Look closely at the mechanism on the inceptors.
How is the signal be transported to the control surfaces and to the position sensor?

6
S1-3: Data Acquisition & Avionics / Electrical rack
Listen to S1-3_DataAquisition.m4a

White cables: aircraft sensors

Yellow and grey cables: test rig
instrumentation

Data Acquisition system Avionics rack and electrical components

7
S2-1: Below cockpit – control mechanisms
Listen to S2-1_BelowCockpit.m4a

Watch the mechanism move. Can you identify the components for aileron, elevator, and
rudder controls? Can you identify a push-pull bar, a quadrant, a control cable? What are
the functions of the components?

8
S2-1: Below cockpit
View: looking up

AERO 201
9
susan.liscouet-hanke@concordia.ca
S2-2: Nose Landing Gear
Listen to S2-2_NoseLandingGear.m4a

nose landing gear

nose landing
extension/ retraction
gear
actuator
extension/
retraction
actuator

Force sensor

load
simulation
system

AERO 201
10
susan.liscouet-hanke@concordia.ca
S2-2: Nose Landing Gear
Hydraulic lines from aircraft center to nose
landing gear.
How many hydraulic systems supply the NLG
actuation?

AERO 201
11
susan.liscouet-hanke@concordia.ca
S3-1: Overwing view Listen to S3-1_Overwing.m4a

Hydraulic lines from the center to the wing: Aerodynamic load

exact layout as in the real aircraft to correctly simulation system
simulate pressure drop and effect due to bends
and changing diameter

12
S3-1: Overwing view
Close-up view on the aerodynamic load simulation

Servo-valve Hydraulic cylinder

Linkage / lever

Force sensor

Hydraulic power supply

 The load simulation works with a force control loop, via the servo-valve
 Depending on the surface deflection (here: spoiler), a force is applied
 The relationship between deflection angle and applied force is programmed by the test engineer;
several loading scenarios can be tested
13
S3-2: Aft Equipment Bay Listen to S3-2_Aft Equipment Bay.m4a

Left hand side

auxiliary hydraulic hydraulic system
right hand side
system (in direction of flight –
hydraulic system
here we look aft)
(in direction of flight –
here we look aft)

reservoir

DC motor pump (look

close)
PTU (look down)

14
 S3-2: Aft Equipment Bay (AEB)
View into AEB – routing of control cables
for elevator and rudder control
Control cables Control cables

15
S3-2: Aft Equipment Bay
After Equipment bay hydraulics system installation - looking forward (this
picture is taken from the inside of the hydraulic bay)

Left hand side

hydraulic system Right hand side
hydraulic system

Power transfer
unit

16
S3-3: Aft Equipment Bay / side view
Listen to S3-3_AEB_Thrustreverser.m4a

hydraulic supply to thrust

auxiliary hydraulic reverser system
system
right hand side
hydraulic system

(in direction of flight –

here we look aft)

17
S4: Rudder
Listen to S4-1_RudderControls.m4a

Observe and identify the control mechanism for the rudder and the elevator (arriving from the AEB)

18
S4: Rudder Listen to S4-2_RudderActuationComponents.m4a

Observe and identify the various components of the rudder control and actuation

 Observe the difference in

dimensions between
push-pull rod and the
hydraulic lines.
 Which hydraulic line is the
pressure which the return
line (thin and thick)?
Why?

19
 S4: Rudder
Rudder actuation – two power control units (PCUs)

PCU (upper)

Hinge connection to Mechanical control & power

rudder transmission (for manual
reversion) – torque tube

PCU (lower)
20
 S5-1: Elevator / Horizontal tail Listen to S5-1_ElevatorTop.m4a

Elevator actuation – two power control units (PCUs) per side

PCU 2
PCU 1

Mechanical control & power

transmission (for manual
reversion) – torque tube

Aerodynamic load
simulation system

pressure
sensor

21
S5-2: Elevator Listen to S5-2_ElevatorBelow.m4a

Elevator actuation – view from below

Dog bone
Attachement
to elevator PCU rod

Left elevator: 1 PCU is missing

(removed due to leakage)

One hinge is placed between the

actuators, the second hinge is more
outboard – can you find it?

22
S5-3: Horizontal stabilizer trim Listen to S5-3_HSTA.m4a

HSTA (Horizontal Stabilizer Trim Actuator)

 The HST employs an electro-mechanical actuator

Nut, fixed to  In this case the EMA technology is suitable to slowly
horizontal tail
Attachment to move and hold high loads
horizontal tail
 The CL300 has a “Mach-trim” system – can you
explain why and how this helps the pilot? (read the
CL300 flight control manual if necessary – link
available on Moodle for the lab preparation
information)

Screw - turns

Gear box and

electric motor

23
 S5-3: Rudder and Elevator actuation/transmission
This is a good location to have a different view on the rudder actuation and elevator control transmission,
e.g., the pitch feel simulator unit.
Why does the aircraft need to a feel simulation unit? How does it work? (-> do some advanced reading
after the lab)

Pitch feel unit

THSA

Push-pull rod (control

transmission connected
to bellcrank – Gain changer
“quadrant”)

24
 S5-4: Wing – view from top Listen to S5-4_LeftWingTop.m4a

Identify the control surfaces and actuation technologies on the wing

Control Surface Name: Control Surface Name: Control Surface Name: Control Surface Name:

Actuation type: Actuation type: Actuation type: Actuation type:

25
S6-1: Aileron Listen to S6-1_Aileron.m4a

Aerodynamic load
simulation system

Load alleviation tab: Roll-trim tab

deflects in the opposite
Electromechanical
direction of the aileron
actuator covered
(actuated through
with fairing
linkage system (gear
tab)

26
S6-2: Spoiler Listen to S6-2_SpoilerMLG.m4a

Hinge to spoiler

Hinge to spoiler Attachement to

spoiler

Flexible hydraulic
lines

Hydraulic cylinder

Control valve

27
 S6-2: Main Landing Gear Listen to S6-2_SpoilerMLG.m4a

Brake accumulator
(left side is hidden
in this view)

 No picture of the Main Landing

Gear extension/retraction
system – can you identify the
load simulation system and
the « real » actuator?

28
S7-1: Hydraulic supply to test rig
Listen to S7-
1_HydraulicSupply.m4a

accumulator

accumulator

filter

Manifold for the

Components for hydraulic system
Manifold for the
the right hand supplying the
left hand side
side hydraulic aerodynamic load
hydraulic system
system simulation system

29
S7-2: Hydraulic power generation room
Listen to S7-
2_HydraulicRoom.m4a
There are two types hydraulic systems in the hydraulic room:
• Two systems using Skydrol: supply to the aircraft hydraulic components
on the ISTR
• One “industrial” system using mineral oil: supplies the aerodynamic load
simulation system

Accumulator Ventilation

 Identify the pump and the

motor

Manifold  Which one has the higher

Flow meter power density, pump or
(digital)
motor?
Flow meter  Why are the pumps in a
(analog)
Filter
separate room?

30
 Questions? Notes?

 What did you learn in this lab?

31
 After the visit: Put yourself in the shoes of a
test engineer

Watch the video of the LESIAQ in Use the test data to create two
action plots/graphs of the data and explain
what you see

32