B1 Mod 11-05-2 Pt1 Avionic Systems (B1 Only)
B1 Mod 11-05-2 Pt1 Avionic Systems (B1 Only)
B1 Mod 11-05-2 Pt1 Avionic Systems (B1 Only)
AVIONIC
SYSTEMS
PAGE
INTENTIONALLY
BLANK
AUTOMATIC
FLIGHT
CONTROL
SYSTEM
PAGE
INTENTIONALLY
BLANK
AUTOMATIC FLIGHT
Early Automatic Flight systems were primarily pilot relief devices, which did no
more than hold the aircraft straight and level. With the introduction of
transistorized electronics, dramatic changes occurred, not only in the size of the
systems, but in their performance. Present day Autoflight systems are utilized in
all phases of flight and as such have acquired a more modern identification, that
of "Automatic Flight Control System" (AFCS). A typical profile of a flight, almost
completely under an Auto-Flight Control System, is shown at Figure 11.5.2.1.
ACCELERATION
ALTITUDE
SPEED LIMIT
ALTITUDE
THRUST
CONSTRAINT
REDUCTION
ALTITUDE
EXTEND
FLAPS
ORIGIN
DESTINATION
PRE-FLIGHT
ROLL OUT
PHASE PHASE <60kts
GND/SPD
TACTICAL CLIMB MODES TACTICAL CRIUSE MODES TACTICAL DESCENT MODE LANDING PHASE
TAKE OFF
• MAXIMUM CLIMB •
• MAXIMUM ENDURANCE •
MAXIMUM DESCENT
PHASE
• MANUAL SPEED • MANUAL SPEED • •
MANUAL SPEED
Detect the difference between input and output signals (error sensing).
This type of servo loop is one in which a load has to be rotated through an output
angle º. Figure 11.5.2 shows a remote position control servomechanism.
° INPUT
ERROR
DETECTOR
INPUT
SERVO
VARIABLE AMP LOAD
MOTOR
RESISTOR
ERROR
SIGNAL
° OUTPUT
POSITION
FEEDBACK OUTPUT
VARIABLE
RESISTOR
CONTROL
ERROR
ELEMENT
DETECTOR SERVO
MOTOR
LOAD
VELOCITY TACHO
FEEDBACK GEN
POSITIONAL FEEDBACK
FEEDBACK ELEMENT
Automatic control systems can be split down into four main elements, these are:
ERROR SENSING
Determines when the flight condition of the aircraft is differing from that
commanded by the pilot. Almost all modern aircraft use a gyro of some type for
this purpose, and there are two ways that the error signal can be generated,
either by attitude gyros or rate gyros. The attitude gyros only detect how far the
aircraft is away from the settings, the rate gyros detect the rate at which it is
deviating and, hence, are more accurate.
CORRECTION
This is the correcting input, sent to the actuators connected into the flying control
systems. This input is simply the command from the auto-pilot to reverse the
movement of the aircraft away from its set
course. It does not have any idea of when to stop the correction, this is the job of
the follow-up mechanism.
FOLLOW-UP
Is the detection mechanism, which senses that the aircraft is righting itself, under
the commands from the correction part of the auto-pilot. The mechanism
reduces the correction input as it nears the original selected position and, by the
time the aircraft is level, there will be no correcting input to the actuators.
COMMAND
The command system is incorporated to allow the pilot to dictate which heading,
height, speed or rate of climb he wants
the aircraft to follow. This can be a simple 'Heading Hold' system which is
controlled by a "bug" on the compass, which the pilot sets with a knob on the
instrument. Alternatively, the system 'Mode Control Panel' shown in figure
11.5.2.4 can have many different parameters commanded by the pilot, such as
auto-pilot modes, altitude, vertical speed and airspeed/mach number modes.
AUTOPILOT AILERON ELEVATOR
COMPUTER ENGAGE ENGAGE
SELECT SWITCH SWITCH
MODE SELECT
HEADING ALTITUDE
HOLD SELECT
SELECT
AERODYNAMICS
ATTITUDE ERROR
SENSING SENSING SIGNAL SERVOMOTORS
PROCESSING (ACTUATORS)
FEEDBACK
AUTOPILOT
MODE SELECT
2. Two-Axis System.
3. Three-Axis System.
In the single axis system, control is normally about the “Roll” axis. The control
surfaces forming part of this system are therefore the “Ailerons”. It is found on
small aircraft to provide lateral stabilization (wing levelling).
TWO-AXIS SYSTEM
In the two-axis system, control is normally about the “Roll” and “Pitch” axes. The
control surfaces forming part of this system are therefore the “Ailerons” and
“Elevators”. These are found on medium sized aircraft and provide a means of
automatically controlling the aircraft’s heading and altitude.
THREE-AXIS SYSTEM
In the three-axis system, control is about all three axes (Pitch, Roll and Yaw).
These systems are designed to meet the requirements for stabilization and
control of high performance category aircraft, and have a large number of modes
of operation.
Under automatically controlled flight conditions, the sensing of all changes in the
aircraft’s attitude is accomplished by referencing them against some form of
stabilized device. The device universally adopted for this purpose, from the
earliest types of control system to those now current, has been the gyroscope.
In addition to the gyro, t is also the practice in many cases to adopt a pendulous
device which although not purely stabilizing in function, can serve as a “back-up”
to a gyro by sensing short-term attitude changes brought about by the effects of
accelerations, vertical speed changes, and by side-slip.
Figure 11.5.2.6 shows the configuration for a three-axis automatic control
system.
YAW
ROLL
PITCH
A/P DISCONNECT A.C - D.C. MACH TRIM PITCH TRIM ALT REF
CAPT F/O
MODE
YAW
SELECTOR MAN
K1 DAMP SWITCH
ENGAGE AUTO
OFF
RELAY
AUTO
PILOT
ENGAGE
RELAY
K2
OFF
SERVO
RUDDER
CLUTCH
SERVOS
ELEVATOR
AILERON
OFF CLUTCHES
In the yaw damper switch position, only the pilot's disconnect and power valids
are needed; in the full autopilot condition all switches must be made.
Firstly, the autopilot disconnects: either the Captain's or the First Officer's switch
will disconnect the autopilot; the switches are usually located on the control
column.
The power ac and dc valids are qualifying that power is available and any loss of
power will disconnect.
In some systems, Mach trim is on all the time, whether the autopilot is engaged
or not, and in others it is disengaged when the autopilot is engaged.
The pitch trim switch is qualifying that auto pitch trim is available in the autopilot
mode. The reason that this is important is that if there is a mis-trim, the autopilot
can compensate for that situation until the autopilot is disconnected, either
through malfunction or deliberate action, or the aircraft could nose up/down
rather dramatically.
The attitude reference switch is checking that the valids from the vertical gyro are
all correct, and the attitude references are available for the autopilot.
On more sophisticated systems, there are other interlock switches, for example
air data computer, compass system, hydraulic pressure monitoring and radio
altimeters.
Some systems, apart from those that use electrical interlocks, do not use an
electrical servomotor. Instead they use a hydraulic servo.
AUTOPILOTS & FLIGHT DIRECTOR SYSTEMS
Once the controller has been selected, and activated, the aircraft is controlled by
the Flight Director/Autopilot System. Rate gyros detect any movement of the
aircraft from the selected flight datum and will output a signal proportional to the
disturbance and in the opposite sense. The gyro output, along with other signals
from associated systems, are processed in the Flight Director/Autopilot
Computer, which in turn will give flight director information and or outputs to
move the control surfaces to bring the aircraft onto the correct flight datum.
AERODYNAMIC RESPONSE
FLIGHT FLIGHT
DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
ENGAGED COMMAND BAR
GYRO INPUT
ALTITUDE INPUT
SERVO
AUTOPILOT
ENGAGED
We know that any change in the aircraft's attitude will be detected by the
Autopilot system. This system alone will not be able to detect a pure vertical
displacement of the aircraft. To maintain an aircraft at a selected altitude we
require further sensing elements.
The purpose of the Altitude Hold system, is to maintain the aircraft at a selected
height. The pilot will select "ALT" on the Flight Mode Panel (FMP) and the
system will maintain that altitude. The sensing element consists of a pressure
transducer, similar to that in the Air Data System. Any change in the static
pressure will be felt and an output produced, this output will be fed to the pitch
channel of the autopilot system to adjust the aircraft's altitude.
ANEROID
CAPSULE
STATIC
CONTROL
CHASER
MOTOR MOTOR
ERROR
AMP
TO PITCH
CONTROL REF
CHANNEL
Since airspeed hold sensors are used in conjunction with altitude hold sensors,
the methods of transmitting error signals are of a common nature. The only
difference is that whereas an altitude sensor measures only staic pressure
changes, an airspeed sensor is required to measure Static and Pitot pressures.
The Altitude Alerting System allows the pilot to make changes to the aircraft's
altitude and provide alerts to the pilot when the selected altitude is reached. The
pilot sets the required altitude, from 0 - 50,000 feet, in steps of 10 feet, on the
Flight Mode Panel (FMP).
The altitude alerter gives the pilot an alert when the aircraft approaches the
selected altitude, entry alert ("C" Chord) and illuminates a warning lamp. The
system will then alert the pilot when the aircraft does not follow the selected
altitude with an exit alert ("C" Chimes) and illuminates a warning lamp. Figure
11.5.2.10 shows the different alerts.
1000 feet
ENTRY ALERT
ON EXIT ALERT
ON
ENTRY ALERT
“C” CHORD OFF
250 feet
SELECTED HEIGHT
250 feet
EXIT ALERT
ON
“C” CHIME
1000 feet