Flight Controls

Question 1

Which hydraulic systems actuate the ailerons?

Answer 1

Ailerons are hydraulically actuated by the jacks which are powered by the green and blue systems. One system works at a time, the green is the primary system.

Question 2

Which flight computers control the ailerons?

Answer 2

Controlled by ELAC 1. If ELAC 1 fails ELAC 2 takes over. It both ELACs fail, the SEC can provide roll via the spoilers.

Question 3

Which spoilers are used for ground lift dumping?

Answer 3

All 5 pairs of spoilers.

Question 4

Which spoilers are used for the speedbrakes?

Answer 4

Spoilers 2, 3, 4.

Question 5

When will the spoilers automatically fully deploy during the landing phase?

Answer 5

Both main gears on the ground and the thrust levers at idle. If not armed, the spoilers deploy when reverse thrust is selected.

Question 6

If a spoiler is deployed and a hydraulic system fails, what happens?

Answer 6

The spoiler will maintain its last position at the time of failure.

Question 7

How does the rudder travel limiter function?

Answer 7

At high speeds it prevents large rudder movements by restricting the rudder movement range, reducing excess strain on the fuselage. 2 motors control the rudder trim and artificial feel unit.

Question 8

If the rudder travel limiter fails in flight, what is the consequence?

Answer 8

The last setting will be maintained. When slats are extended, the travel limiter motors at low speed to allow full rudder deflection for approach and landing.

Question 9

What conditions cause speedbrake inhibition?

Answer 9

CONFIG FULL, TOGA, AOA Protection, Elevator Fault, SEC 1 & 3 Fault.

Question 10

What speed will the spoilers deploy in a rejected take off?

Answer 10

Above 72kts.

Question 11

What is phased lift dumping?

Answer 11

At touchdown with the thrust levers at idle and one main gear still airborne and one on the ground, spoilers partially deploy on the airborne side to force the wing and gear down.

Question 12

How many slats and flaps are there?

Answer 12

5 leading edge slats, 2 trailing edge flaps.

Question 13

If one of the hydraulic inputs or computers fail, what is the effect on flight controls?

Answer 13

They will travel at half speed.

Question 14

If the side stick is released at Alpha Max, what happens?

Answer 14

Attitude will return to Alpha Prot.

Question 15

What does the AOA protection give protection against?

Answer 15

Stalling and windshear.

Question 16

How do you recover if alpha floor activates?

Answer 16

Press the instinctive pb on the thrust levers. Move the thrust levers out of the CLB gate, or put them in the CLB gate and reinstate the ATHR using the FCU pb.

Question 17

If you press the instinctive pb on the thrust levers for more than 15s, what happens?

Answer 17

Auto thrust is disengaged for the remainder of the flight. Alpha floor is not available.

Question 18

Does Alpha Floor work in Alternate Law?

Answer 18

No.

Question 19

What is the load alleviation function?

Answer 19

An automatic function in normal law when in clean flight. Loads on the wing can be unloaded by inverting the ailerons and deploying the spoilers.

Question 20

What is the MAX bank angle in Normal Law?

Answer 20

67’

Question 21

What happens at Max bank angle when the side stick is released?

Answer 21

Aircraft returns to 33’ angle of bank.

Question 22

Centering the beta target when single engine provides what?

Answer 22

Minimum drag / best climb performance.

Question 23

Max roll rate in Normal Law?

Answer 23

15’ per second.

Question 24

What is the low energy warning?

Answer 24

Active below 2000ft rad alt in CONFIG 2, 3 or FULL in Normal Law. It warns the pilots of a low energy situations developing before Alpha Prot and Alpha Floor are triggered, giving the pilots time to react. The audio calls ‘SPEED SPEED SPEED’ will be heard.

Question 25

When is the low energy warning inhibited?

Answer 25

Below 100’ft RAD ALT.
TOGA Selected.
During an EGPWS alert.
DUAL RAD ALT FAILURE.

Question 26

What is alpha lock and when does it activate?

Answer 26

Prevents slat retraction at high attitudes and low speeds and prevents low energy situations and stalls. Active below 148kts and AOA greater than 8.5. When activated, it remains active until the attitude is below 7.6 and has increased above 154kts.

Question 27

In Normal Law, when will auto trim stop functioning?

Answer 27

When a manual input is made, RAD ALT below 50ft, load factor below 0.5g and when some normal law protections are active.

Question 28

What is the difference between alternate law with/without protections?

Answer 28

Alternate Law with protections offers stabilities, mainly being high speed / low speed. These are not protections and they can be overridden by the pilot.

Question 29

What is Mechanical Backup?

Answer 29

Results from the loss of all fly-by-wire computers. Is usually a temporary situation due to the loss of electrical power to the aircraft. Basic flying can be maintained using the THS and the rudder.

Question 30

What happens if a flap / slat deploys unevenly?

Answer 30

The Wing Tip Brake will be deployed which will prevent any further movement. This can only be reset on the ground by an engineer.

Question 31

Explain flight control low speed protection (Vls, Valpha Prot, Valpha max, alphafloor etc)

Answer 31

When angle of attack becomes greater than Valpa Prot, the protection comes active, sidestick now commands angle of attack, full backstick equals Valpha max, if sidestick is released, angle of attack returns to Valpha Prot.

Somewhere between V alpha Prot and V alpha max, alpha floor activates (depending on angle of attack and Config)

Alpha floor is an AUTOTHRUST FUNCTION and not a flight control protection!

Question 32

Describe the flap system and it’s components.

Answer 32

Each wing has 2 flaps and 5 slats.

They are electrically controlled and hydraulically operated.

2 SFCCs each containing one slat channel and one flap channel.

The motors in control use green and blue hydraulics for slats and green and yellow for flaps.

Feedback position pickup points feed back the position to the SFCCs. WTBs are activated in the case of asymmetry, mechanism overspeed, symmetrical runaway or uncommanded movement of the surfaces. They cannot be released in flight.