iscover
Aircraft configured for direct force control featuring variable incidence wings, beavertail elevator and control surfaces beneath the nose. DSF - direct side force, VLF - vectored lift force. (Carlo Kopp)
Technology Explained
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Artificial Stability & Fly-by-Wire Control
Probably the single most important system in an aircraft, aside from those natural prerequisites for high-performance flight, an airframe and powerplant, is the control system. Aircraft control systems have undergone considerable development in the last seventy years and the end of that path of development is by no means in clear sight.
The primary function of any control system is to convey instructions, in an aircraft, from the pilot to the vehicle. Aside from several not-so-conventional instances, such as the Harrier in hover or the Space Shuttle in orbit, this is achieved aerodynamically, by means of control surfaces. In a modern aircraft, this becomes a very complex design problem, the system must enable the pilot to retain full control in a speed range starting around 100kts and extending to Mach 2 plus, including the transonic region with all of its characteristic properties; a modern fighter must also be capable of flight at large (positive and negative) angles of attack. Aside from the aerodynamic complexities involved, there are also the aspects of lifetime, reliability, maintainability and ability to withstand damage.
The lifetime and reliability of a system are factors that go hand-in-hand. Fatigue and, to a lesser extent, wear are the basic causes of the majority of failures experienced.
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