AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS
POWERED CONTROLS
POWERED CONTROLS
• In larger and faster aircraft, the aerodynamic forces acting on
control surfaces (like ailerons, elevators, and rudders) are great
for a pilot to move using manual strength alone.
• POWERED FLYING CONTROLS (PFC): the pilot's input don’t
move the surface directly; instead, it acts as a signal to a high-
pressure power source (usually hydraulic) that does the heavy
lifting.
POWERED CONTROLS
• REQUIREMENTS
• Irreversibility
• Artificial Feel (Feedback)
• The "Follow-Up" (Neutralizing) Requirement
• Redundancy and Reliability
• Precision and Response (No Backlash)
POWERED CONTROLS
• REQUIREMENTS
• Irreversibility: The system must be irreversible. This means that while
the pilot can move the control surface, the aerodynamic loads (wind)
hitting the control surface cannot move the pilot's stick or the actuator.
• Why: At high speeds, "surface flutter" or air gusts could jerk the controls out of the
pilot's hands or cause the surface to move uncontrollably.
• How: This is achieved through the use of incompressible hydraulic fluid and
check valves that "lock" the actuator in place.
POWERED CONTROLS
• REQUIREMENTS
• Artificial feel: The system must provide Artificial Feel that increases in
resistance as the aircraft's airspeed (V) increases.
• Why: Without this, a pilot might accidentally overstress the airframe by making a
sharp turn at high speed, as the stick would feel just as light as it does at low
speed.
• Components: This is usually handled by Spring feel units or Q-feel units (which
use pitot pressure to vary stick resistance).
POWERED CONTROLS
• REQUIREMENTS
• Follow-up: The displacement of the control surface must be exactly
proportional to the displacement of the cockpit control. When the pilot
stops moving the stick, the control surface must stop moving
immediately.
• Mechanism: A feedback linkage connects the actuator's movement back to the
control valve, shifting the valve back to its "null" or neutral position once the
desired angle is reached.
POWERED CONTROLS
• REQUIREMENTS
• Redundancy & reliability: the system must be fail-safe.
• Multi-Source Power: Most aircraft have at least two or three independent
hydraulic systems (e.g., System A, B, and Standby) powering the same control
surface.
• Alternative Power: In total power loss, systems like a Ram Air Turbine (RAT) or an
Accumulator must provide enough energy to land the aircraft.
POWERED CONTROLS
• REQUIREMENTS
• Precision & response:
• Dead Space: There must be minimal "dead space" or "backlash" in the valves.
When the pilot moves the stick 1 inch, the valve should react instantly.
• Damping: The system must be damped to prevent "hunting," where the control
surface oscillates back and forth trying to find the requested position.
POWERED CONTROLS
POWERED CONTROLS
Type Description
Power-Assisted The pilot still has a mechanical connection to the surface, but a hydraulic
"booster" helps them move it. If hydraulics fail, the pilot can still fly manually
(with great effort).
Fully Powered There is no direct mechanical path to move the surface. The pilot only moves
the valve. If hydraulic power is lost, the surface cannot be moved manually,
requiring redundant backup systems.
Fly-By-Wire (FBW) The physical rods and cables are replaced by computers and wires. The pilot's
stick sends an electronic signal to a motor-driven valve on the actuator.