FLY BY WIRE-- AIRCRAFT ENGINEERING

FLY BY WIRE- AIRCRAFT FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM

Fly by Wire (FBW) technology is used for operating and controlling the aircraft flight control system. Earlier the technology used for flight control system were mechanical and hydro mechanical systems. In mechanical flight control system the conventional type of equipments used like push pull rod, cables, pulleys etc.

The Fly by Wire technology used only the wire to transmit the electrical signal to the computer and actuators at the flight controls instead of transmitting mechanical force to move the flight control surfaces in air.

The Fly by Wire concepts makes the aircraft engineering easier and resulting in low weight of aircraft. In simple low weight of aircraft means higher performance.

Fly by Wire system is quite complex, but their operation is very simple. When the pilot moves the control column (wheel) of aircraft, the signal is sent to flight computers. The flight computers makes their calculation in terms of movement of control column and inputs and sent the electrical signals to the actuators, which in result causing movement of flight control surfaces. The Flight Computers are very sophisticated and calibrated according to the performance envelope of the aircraft.

Fly by Wire control system also have auto stabilizing performance it means it makes the aircraft in stable position without the inputs made by pilots.

Now a days latest aircrafts uses Digital Fly by Wire System.