Chapter A01 - Automatic Flight Control Systems

Question 1

The Automatic Flight Control System, or AFCS, is a set of integrated systems that:

Answer 1

• Can fly and navigate the aircraft - reducing the pilot’s workload
• Artificially increase the aircraft’s stability enhancing the aircraft’s controllability

Question 2

The primary purposes of the AFCS are to:

Answer 2

• Overcome stability and control deficiency
• Improve handling
• Improve ride qualities
• Carry out difficult manoeuvres
• Perform a manoeuvre for a length of time (like straight and level)
• Autoland

Question 3

A modern AFCS, is comprised of the following systems:

Answer 3

• Autopilot
• Autothrust
• Auto-trim
• Flight Director
• Yaw Damper
• Flight Envelope Protection

Question 4

An open loop and closed loop systems are?

Answer 4

• open loop - no feedback.
• closed loop - feedback, allowing corrective actions and enhanced control.

Question 5

Inner loops and outer loops provide?

Answer 5

• inner loop - provides control/stability of the aircraft (displacements around the CG)
• outer loop - provides flight guidance for the aircraft (movement of the CG)

Question 6

Control loops follow?

Answer 6

Input -> Error Detector -> Signal Processor -> Output signal (after passing through control laws) -> Control

Feedback from the controls is fed to the error detector

Question 7

Inner loop stability function is closed by the ____ at the ____

Answer 7

Autopilot

servomotor to controller/comparator

Question 8

Inner loops follows?

Answer 8

inner loop - provides control/stability of the aircraft (displacements around the CG)

Question 9

Outer loops follows?

Answer 9

outer loop - provides flight guidance for the aircraft (movement of the CG)

Question 10

How does the outer loop feed into the inner loop?

Answer 10

Question 11

Inner loop to do with?

Answer 11

Autopilot

Question 12

Outer loop to do with?

Answer 12

Flight director

Question 13

What is CWS?

Answer 13

Goes through the autopilot before outputting a control

Question 14

Answer 14

Question 15

A closed-loop system may enter a state of _____ if the system overcompensates for deviations from the desired state.

This state of self-induced oscillation may be detected by reference to instruments or the visual environment. Self-induced oscillations may affect aircraft controllability and aircraft safety.

Timely manual intervention is a way of mitigating loss of control and may include reverting to a ____ of automation or _____ the system causing the problem.

Answer 15

• self-induced oscillation
• lower level
• switching off