Preliminary assessment of tracking the autopilot signals by the active controls on a civil aircraft

Savel’ev A. S.

Neretin E. S.

The main purpose of civil aviation is to provide economical, reliable and safe flying. The integrated (fly-by-wire) control system and autopilot system are among the most important aircraft systems. The fly-by-wire control system includes, among other things, controls in the cockpit – yokes (Boeing) and side sticks (Airbus, Irkut, Sukhoi). The side sticks are nowadays a priority in cockpit controls development due to increase of cost-effectiveness compared to the yokes. The rigidly connected yokes provide force feedback for the pilots both in automatic and in manual control modes. Β Β When using the side sticks the pilot has no force feedback because there are no mechanical connections. This has a negative influence on flight safety. Β To solve the problem active side sticks are being developed and implemented nowadays. The active side sticks are not certified for any large civil airplanes. The aim of the paper is to give a preliminary assessment of safety of tracking the autopilot signals by the active stick in accordance withΒ  Β SAE ARP 4761 and SAE ARP 4764A recommendations.

Key words: active controls, control systems, flight safety, fault tree analysis, assessment of functional hazards.

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