Flight controls

Question 1

What flight controls do we have on each wing?

Answer 1

5 x slats
5 x spoilers
2 x flaps
1 x aileron (at the end of the wing)

Question 2

How are the flight controls - controlled and then actuated?

Answer 2

Fly by wire

“All flight controls are ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED and HYDRAULICALLY activated”

Question 3

How does the flight control system work

Answer 3

(Caution - check answer)

1. Demand made by pilot
2. Goes to F/CTR computer
3. Signal sent to actuator
4. Actuator moves surface
5. Response feedback back to F/CTR computer

Note: in normal law the computers prevent excessive manoeuvres and keeps us inside the flight envelope in the pitch and roll axis

Question 4

Flight control - side stick

Are the FO AND CAPT side sticks mechanically linked?

Answer 4

No - they are not mechanically linked

Question 5

Side stick - what is the SOP for disconnecting autopilot in flight?

Answer 5

Side stick red push button.

Why? Because this prevents an ECAM warning (albeit you still get the cavalry noise)

Question 6

Side stick - Dual Inputs

Answer 6

They are algebraically added. Therefore:

1. Half side deflection from CAPT plus half side stick deflection from FO (in same direction) = full deflection
2. Full bank left from CAPT and full bank right from FO = no deflection

When doing flight control check (during taxi) - remember to look at the ECAM display (not the PFD)

Question 7

Side stick - Priority

What is shown if Capt takes priority from the PF?

Answer 7

1. Red arrow appears in front of the person that lost control (FO) and points to the person that has control (Capt)
2. A green “CAPT” light illuminates (I.e says who now has control)

Question 8

Side Stick - how do you take control from copilot?

Answer 8

Press and hold red pb for 40 seconds (this then semi locks out the co-pilot)

Does not fully lock because the co-pilot could request control back again

Question 9

Rudder Trim Switch. What is the impact of autopilot on?

Answer 9

Autopilot on - turning the trim knob on the pedestal has no impact

Question 10

What are the Cockpit THS controls? What happens if you manually control them in cockpit

Answer 10

2 x THS Hand wheels

If grab, you override the automatic computer and are directly controlling the electric motors which in turn move THS

Question 11

What flight control computers does the a320 have?

Answer 11

Caution - not sure if below is 100% correct yet

1. 2 x ELAC [Elevator and Aileron Computer]
2. 3 x SEC [Spoiler and Elevator Computer] (note: also controls the standby elevators and stab control)
3. 2 x FAC [Flight Augmentation Computer]

Not a computer as such but there are also:

2 x FCDC [Flight Computer Data Concentrators]

Question 12

Elevators. Basic components of the system?

Answer 12

Each elevator is:

1. Driven by 2 x electrically controlled hydraulic servo jacks
2. Only 1 servo jack active at a time (the other is in damping mode)
3. Left Elevator (Green Hyd). Right Elevator (Yellow Hyd) [Instructor advised don’t need memorise colours]

Question 13

Elevators - how do they work in normal conditions?

Answer 13

There are 2 servojacks per elevator

A) 1 x servojack does all of the work; and

B) 1 x servo-Jack “relaxes” and simply follows what the other is doing (“Damping mode”) [instructor likened it to floating around)

Question 14

Elevators - how do they work in abnormal (neither hydraulic Jack being controlled electrically)?

Answer 14

Reverts to “Central Mode” (elevator locks at the central / neutral position)

Question 15

Elevators. What modes do the servojacks have?

Answer 15

1. Active (the servojack is electronically controlled)
2. Damping (the jack follows the surface movement)
3. Centering (elevator locks at center/neutral)

Question 16

Elevators - Pitch control.

Re computers. How is the system controlled in normal and abnormal?

Answer 16

Normal = controlled by ELAC 2 (for both left and right elevators)

Abnormal (I.e. ELAC 2 fail) = ELAC 1 active

Abnormal (lose both ELAC 1 and 2) - control reverts to SEC 1 and then SEC 2

Question 17

Stabilisers (pitch control)

How are they controlled?

Answer 17

1. Operated by a screw jack
2. Screw Jack driven by 2 x Hydraulic motors (Green and Yellow)
3. Hydraulic motors controlled bya) one of three electric servo motors (depending on which is controlling); OR
   b) the mechanical trim wheel (which will override point a)

Question 18

Which parts of wing are used for roll control (per wing)?

Answer 18

Each wing has/uses:

1. 4 spoilers (2-5) [i.e all of the outboard ones]
2. 1 aileron

Question 19

What are the three different spoiler configurations for a) roll b) speed brakes (in the air) c) speed brakes (ground)?

Answer 19

A) roll = 1 x aileron and 4 x spoilers (nos 2-5)

B) speed brakes (air) = 3 x spoilers (no. 2-4) [middle ones]

C) Speed brakes (ground) = all 5 spoilers

Key point: only the no. 1 spoiler (inboard) is ever used on the ground

Question 20

Which computer controls ailerons?

Answer 20

ELACs

Question 21

Ailerons. What is the backup if both ELACS inop?

Answer 21

None. There is no back up

Question 22

What computer controls the spoilers?

Answer 22

SEC (Spoiler Elevator Computer)

(Note: Each spoiler (per wing) is controlled by an individual SEC)

Question 23

Spoilers. What happens if a left wing individual spoiler is loses Hyd pressure and inop (e.g the no.2)?

Answer 23

It will “float” (damping mode). The no.2 spoiler on the right wing will also go to damping mode (to avoid asymmetric flight)

Question 24

What is “Aileron droop”?

Answer 24

When the flaps are extended, the ailerons are extended down by 5 degrees in order to provide additional lift

Question 25

Yaw control system / computers

Answer 25

1. Controlled by the ELACs
2. ELACS send signals to the 3 x hydraulic jacks on the rudder
3. The hydraulic jacks then move the rudder

Question 26

Yaw control. What controls the rudder trim?

Answer 26

2 x FACs (Flight Augmentation Computers)

Question 27

What is the Rudder Travel Limiter?

Answer 27

When you go faster there is a decrease in the rudder authority (ie the maximum rudder movement you can command from rudder pedals decreases as you faster - even with your foot to the floor!)

Question 28

What happens if the rudder travel limiter fails?

Answer 28

Caution - check below is correct

It freezes at last known position. Unlocks again during approach (when not clean config)