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Ground School Systems 2 > Flight Control Systems (FCS) Introduction > Flashcards

Flight Control Systems (FCS) Introduction Flashcards

1
Q

What are the primary flight control surfaces of fixed wing aircraft?

A
  1. Ailerons
  2. Rudder
  3. Elevators
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2
Q

What are secondary flight control surfaces?

A
  1. Spoilers

2. Flaps

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3
Q

What is usually used to reduce the force that a pilot must exert to make the aircraft pitch, roll or yaw?

A

Aerodynamically balanced or powered by the aircraft’s hydraulic &/or Electrical system

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4
Q

What are some factors that make pilot’s inputs increasingly more difficult?

A
  1. Larger flight control surfaces

2. Higher aircraft speeds

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5
Q

What does lowering the flaps do?

A

Increase the camber/wing area to provide greater lift and control at lower speeds.

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6
Q

What do the spoilers do?

A

Spoil the lift and increase drag

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7
Q

What are some components of the mechanical flight control systems?

A
  1. Cables
  2. Turnbuckles
  3. Pulleys
  4. Push/Pull rods
  5. Bellcranks
  6. Gust Locks
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8
Q

What does an increase in A/C speed do to control loads?

A
  • Increases them.

- Pilot must use more effort to control surfaces at higher speeds.

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9
Q

How can deflecting a large flight control surface against a fast airflow be made easier?

A
  1. Aerodynamically balancing the surface

2. Using power to assist movement

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10
Q

How do hydraulically powered flight controls work?

A

Use fluid pressure to increase control power.

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11
Q

What does a Fly By Wire system refer to? How does it work?

A
  • Describes a Flight Control System that uses a flight control computer to send and receive digital signals to control flight surfaces.
  • Inputs by pilots controls/autopilot are converted to digital signals by a signal generator and transmitted to digital flight control computers.
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12
Q

What does the flight control computer do?

A
  • Receives digital information from NavAids and the air data computer
  • Interprets the digital signals and transmit the commands to electro-hydraulic servos and the servos deflect flight control surfaces
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13
Q

What are some examples of Flight Control Tabs?

A
  1. Trim
  2. Balance
  3. Servo
  4. Anti-balance/Anti-Servo
  5. Spring
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14
Q

What are trim tabs used for?

A

1) Trim or counteract the aerodynamic force on the control surface
2) Stabilize the aircraft is the axis of rotation associated with the primary control
3) Can either be fixed or flight adjustable.

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15
Q

What are fixed trim tabs?

A

Changes on the ground and stay that way during flight.

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16
Q

What are flight adjustable trim taps?

A

Adjustable trim tab that can be changed in flight to counter any variation in control loading that can occur through

  1. Airspeed
  2. Centre of gravity
  3. Aircraft Configuration
  4. Engine operation/failure
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17
Q

What are balance tabs?

A

Hinged tabs at the trailing edge of the control surface to reduce control forces required.

18
Q

What are servo tabs?

A

Similar to balance tabs in location and effect but designed to operate the primary flight control surface and not just reduce the force needed to do so.

  1. Back up means of primary control
  2. Manual linkage to servo tab can be used to deflect it
19
Q

What are anti-balance/anti-servo tabs?

A

Used to increase control forces required in order to prevent inadvertent overstress.

20
Q

What are spring tabs?

A

Servo tabs that only activate after a certain point of deflection to increase control force available to deflect surface further.

21
Q

Where are flaps usually located?

A

Situated inboard on the wing TE adjacent to the fuselage and extend rearward and down from the inboard wing TE.

22
Q

What are the purpose of flaps?

A

1) Increase camber/wing area and provide greater lift and control at slow speeds
2) They enable landing at slower speeds and shorter the amount of runway required for take-off and landing.

23
Q

What are plain flaps?

A
  • Form the TE of the wing when in retracted position
  • Airflow over the wing continues over the upper/lower surfaces of the flap
  • Flap is hinged so that the TE can be lowered which increases wing camber, providing greater lift.
24
Q

What are split flaps?

A
  • Housed under the TE of the wing
  • When operated, the split flap TE lowers away from the TE of the wing
  • Airflow over the top of the wing remains the same
  • Airflow under the wing follows the camber created by the lowered split flap, increasing lift.
  • Creates significant drag requiring higher power setting and better engine response.
25
Q

What are slotted flaps?

A
  • Increase wing camber and open up a slot between the wing and the flap
  • Allows high pressure air from the bottom of the wing to flow through the slot into the upper surface
  • Energy is added to the wing’s boundary layer, delaying airflow separation (less drag) whilst increasing lift
26
Q

What are fowler flaps?

A
  • Increase the wing area by extending out on rails/tracks
  • In first stage of extension, there is a large increase in lift but little increase in drag, making setting ideal for TO in a large jet
  • As the flaps continue to extend, the flaps move downward more and more, creating more lift but a lot more drag.
27
Q

What are leading edge (LE) slots?

A
  • Ducts or passages in the LE of a wing that allow high-pressure air from the bottom of the wing to flow to the top of the wing - allowing boundary layer to remain on surface of the wing.
28
Q

What are leading edge (LE) slats?

A

Slats are movable and can be retracted when not needed - increasing camber of the wing.

29
Q

What is the point of spoilers and what are some of their uses?

A
  • Increase drag, reduce lift.
  • Differentially provide roll control
  • Conjunction with/in lieu of ailerons, countering affect of adverse yaw
  • Deployed on landing to significantly reduce lift, increasing aerodynamic drag and increase braking effectiveness
30
Q

What are air brakes used for?

A

Used during landing

  • Increase drag
  • Increase angle of approach
31
Q

How are air brakes different from spoilers?

A

Air brakes increase drag without making much change to lift.

32
Q

What are the 3 primary flight controls?

A
  • Elevator
  • Rudder
  • Aileron
33
Q

A Fly by wire system involves digital signals from an air data computer which operate what?

A

Servos/Flight Control Surfaces

34
Q

A mechanical flight control system uses what types of components to transfer inputs?

A
  1. Pulleys
  2. Cables
  3. Turn buckles
  4. Push/pull rods
  5. Bellcranks
35
Q

What are flaps used for?

A

Increase lift and control at lower airspeeds

36
Q

Many large aircraft use fowler flaps. Why?

A

Allow for increased lift on TO without increasing drag substantially

37
Q

What are spoilers used for and what is a negative effect of spoilers?

A

Spoil lift/increase drag, reduction in lift.

38
Q

An airbrake will slow you down with little change to lift while increasing what?

A

Drag

39
Q

What is the function of wing slats?

A

Increase camber + lift of wing

40
Q

What are trim tabs used for?

A

Trim out control forces

Ground School Systems 2 (19 decks)

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