Flight Controls (Chapter 27)

Flight control surfaces are all:

- electrically controlled
- hydraulically activated

Fly-by-wire, no feedback except for rudder and horizontal stab trim.
The movement of the flight control surfaces are managed by seven computers.
These are:
Two ELACs Elevator, aileron and stabilizer control
Three SECs Spoiler and standby elevator and stabilizer control
Two FACs Electrical rudder control (other warning functions also provided)

In addition two FCDCs (Flight Control Data Concentrators) are used to acquire data from
ELAC and SEC. Then they send information to the EIS and CFDS.

Pitch control Controlled by elevators and horizontal stab. Electrically controlled by ELAC
or SEC and hydraulically actuated.

Elevator Each elevator has two hydraulic power sources and two actuators (one active and
one in damping mode).

ELAC 2 ELAC 1 SEC 2 SEC 1

Left Elevator Blue and Green hyd. Right Elevator Yellow and Blue hyd.

Horizontal Stabilizer Electrically controlled by one of three motors or mechanically
controlled by the pitch trim wheels (through cable) and hydraulically powered by green or
yellow hydraulic. After touchdown the stab trim is reset automatically to zero.

NOTE: if the ELAC 1 computer is reset on ground, the pitch trim returns to the ground
setting position (0).

Horizontal Stab. Priorities:

ELAC 2 ELAC 1 SEC 2 SEC 1 (same as elevators)

THS motor N 1 N 2 N 3

Green and Yellow hyd., 3 electric motors


Roll Control provided by ailerons and spoilers. Electrically controlled by ELAC (ailerons)
or SEC (spoilers) and hydraulically actuated.

Ailerons Each aileron is powered by Green and Blue hyd. and has two actuators (one
active and the other damping). The ailerons droop 5 when the flaps are extended. If both
ELACs fail then droop is deactivated and the ailerons streamline and only spoilers are used
for roll control.

Aileron priorities:

ELAC 1 ELAC 2

Green and Blue hyd.

With one or both aileron fault(s) fuel consumption increases by approximately 6%.
YAW CONTROL

Rudder Rudder controls yaw. FAC 1 & 2 provide electric control through trim motors and
hydraulically actuated. Mechanically controlled by rudder pedals if FACs fail. Rudder
deflection is normally limited according to airspeed but during dual FAC failure full rudder
deflection is available when the slats extend. Rudder trim is automatic but can be done
manually using electric RUD TRIM switch. A rudder trim RESET pb will reset the rudder to
0 trim (not available during autopilot operation).

ELACs sends signals to FACs and FACs compute yaw damper and turn coordinations. No
feedback (rudder pedal movement) during yaw damper corrections or turn coordination.

FAC

W Windshear
A Angle of Attack (flight envelope protection - AoA, High and Low speed limits)
L Low Energy warning (speed, speed)
Y Yaw functions, normal and alternate yaw

Prot - Angle of attack protection speed, top of amber tiger stripe

A Angle of Attack instead of Load Factor (gs)
S Speedbrakes retract
A Autopilot disconnects
P Pitch trim inhibited


Speedbrakes and Ground Spoilers

Spoilers Spoiler control is shared by 3 SEC computers. Five spoilers are installed on each
wing. From the wing root to wing tip they are numbered 1 through 5. All are used as ground
spoilers. Numbers 2 through 5 (the 4 outboard spoilers) provide roll control. The middle
three (2 4) provide inflight speedbrakes. If a SEC fails the spoiler(s) it controls is
automatically retracted (if extended) and that spoiler(s) deactivated. There is no reversion to
other computers.
For these surfaces (which perform both roll and speedbrake functions) the roll function has
priority.

Spoiler priorities:

Spoilers 1 & 2 - SEC 3, Yellow and Green
Spoilers 3 & 4 - SEC 1, Yellow and Blue
Spoiler 5 - SEC 2, Green

Green SPD BRK memo on ECAM when speedbrakes extended. Flashes amber when thrust
is applied with speedbrake extended.

On A320 the maximum speedbrake deflection with autopilot engaged is achieved with half
speedbrake lever deflection.

Speedbrake extension inhibited when (SAFE-T):

S - SEC 1 & 3 both have fault
A - Angle of Attack protection active ( prot) or ALPHA FLOOR activation
F - Flaps at FULL setting for A319 & A320 and config 3 or FULL for A321
E - Elevator (L or R) fails (spoilers 3 and 4 only are inhibited)
T - TOGA on thrust levers (OK, really above MCT but you better be in the TOGA detent if
you are above MCT!)
If speedbrakes out when inhibited they will automatically retract. Must restow speedbrake
handle for 10 seconds to regain. Do not use speedbrakes below 1000 AFE.

If one speedbrake on one wing fails the symmetric one on the other wing will be
automatically inhibited.

Ground Spoilers are armed by raising the Speed Brake Lever. The speed brake lever does
not move with auto extension.

Ground Spoilers extend automatically:

Partial Extension (10)
On landing
Reverse selected on at least one engine with other at or near idle and one main
landing gear strut compressed

Full Extension
On landing or on rejected takeoff above 72 kts.
Both thrust levers at idle (spoilers armed)
Reverse thrust selected on at least one engine with other at idle if ground spoilers
were not armed and both mains compressed.

Retraction
During a touch & go when at least one thrust lever is advanced above 20.


Flight Control Laws

Multiple failures are required to revert from normal law. Multiple failures of redundant
systems

Normal Flight:
on ground takeoff inflight landing on ground
Ground
Mode
Flight Mode Flight Mode Flare Mode
(at 50ft RA)
Ground
Mode
Direct

blend from
Direct to
Normal

Normal Normal
with slight
pitch down
added at
30 for flare
Direct

Normal Law: for a given amount of sidestick deflection a given amount of G loading (pitch,
elevators) or roll rate (roll, ailerons, spoilers) regardless of airspeed. Pitch is always kept in
trim automatically. Bank past 33 requires constant input or will automatically return to 33.
Hard protections. Green equals signs =. It is modified depending on the phase of flight, it
operates in 3 modes:
- Ground mode: operates on the ground when the aircraft is electrically and
hydraulically powered. Control are conventional.
- Flight mode: Operates in the air after a gradual transition from ground mode just after
lift off.
Flare mode: modifies flight mode to introduce a conventional feel to the landing phase.
Gives slight pitch down after 30ft for flare.
Normal law provides a number of airborne pitch protections, they are:

PITCH
ATTITUDE
PROTECTION
LOAD
FACTOR
LIMITATION
HIGH
SPEED
PROTECTION
HIGH ANGLE
OF ATTACK
PROTECTION
BANK
ANGLE
PROTECTION


Normal Law Protections (think of as A320 mode):
Pitch
Attitude
Load
Factor
High Speed High Angle
Of attack
Bank
Angle
Yaw
Load Factor
proportional
to stick
deflection
Max 30
nose up
Max 15
nose down
Clean
+2.5G/-1.0G

Flaps
Extended
+2.0G/-0.0G
Non-
overrideable
nose up
command
prevents
overspeed
at
Vmo/Mmo
Non-
overrideable
AoA
protection
Prot
Low energy
warn.
Floor
Max
Roll rate
proportional
to side stick
deflection
67 Max
(at 45
autopilot
disconnect)
Turn
Coordinatio
n & Yaw
Dampening

N O R M A L L A W

F A I LU R E S

A L T E R N A T E L A W

LANDING GEAR DOWN

D I R E C T L A W

ECAM does not distinguish between ALTN LAWs, ECAM shows always: ALTN LAW (PROT
LOST)

Alternate Law: Flight control will revert to alternate law after multiple failures of redundant
systems. Autotrim still available. Soft protections. No protection in roll, roll goes to direct.
Pitch goes to direct for landing when landing gear extended (no flare mode). It is possible
to be in Alternate law without speed Stability and/or Yaw Dampening. Aircraft can stall.
On PFD the green dashes = which mark the protection limit in Normal Law, are replaced
by amber Xs

Alternate Law Protections (think of as 737-300 mode):
Pitch
Attitude
Load
Factor
High Speed High Angle
Of Attack
Bank
Angle
Yaw
Load Factor
proportional
to stick
deflection
No flare
mode, goes
to direct for
landing
Clean
+2.5G/-1.0G

Flaps
Extended
+2.0G/-0.0G
High Speed
Stability
Overrideable
nose up
command to
prevent
overspeed
Low speed
stability
Overrideable
nose down
command to
prevent stall
Stall Warning
Roll Direct
No
protections
Yaw
Dampenig


Abnormal Attitude Law: This is entered by the aircraft being in an extreme unusual attitude
(about double normal limits). When back to normal attitude aircraft is in Alternate Law except
does not go to direct law on landing and no pitch protections. Computer reverts to Abnormal
when it sees the aircraft in unusual attitude because computer logic says aircraft should not
have been allowed by normal law protections into this attitude in the first place, therefore
computer sees something is wrong. The law in pitch is the alternate law with no protection
except load-factor protection and without auto trim. In roll it is a full-authority direct law with a
yaw mechanical.


Direct Law: Lowest level of flight control law. Proportional movement between sidestick
deflection and flight control deflection, pilot inputs are now sent to the control surfaces
unmodified. No autotrimming. No protections only overspeed and stall warnings available.
The default mode on the ground in all cases, this mode is most like a regular airplane (DC-9
mode). Auto trim is not available and the crew must trim the aircraft manually,
amber USE MAN PITCH TRIM.
Auto turn coordination and Dutch Roll damping are also lost. All yaw control in direct law is
through the rudder pedal.

Mechanical Backup: failure such as complete loss of flight control computer power supply.
Pitch through horizontal stab trim wheel. Lateral through rudders, provided at least one
hydraulic system is available. Differential power. Both stab and rudder use cables going to
controller and require hydraulic power. Bottom line here, very little manual reversion and if
no hydraulic power you are a lawn dart.
Red MAN PITCH TRIM ONLY

Protections

Pitch Attitude Protection
The Pitch Attitude Protection limits are shown as small green dashes = on the PFD,
and is limited to:
- 30 nose up in conf 0 to 3 (progressively reduced to 25 at low speed)
- 25 nose up in conf FULL (progressively reduced to 20 at low speed)
- 15 nose down (indicated by green symbols = on the PFDs pitch scale)

The flight directors bars disappear from the PFD when the pitch attitude exceeds 25or 13
down. They return to the display when the pitch angle returns to the region between 22 and
10 down.

Load Factor Limitation
is automatically limited to:
- 2,5g to 1g for clean configuration.
- 2g to 0 for other configurations.

High Speed Protection
VMO/MMO is shown as the bottom of the red/black pole.

Greed dashes indicate the speed at which the protection is activated.

If the airspeed7mach increases to the protection speed, the autopilot will disengage and the
flight control computers send a pitch up command to the control surfaces to prevent further
acceleration.

The flight control computers will permit momentary exceedance of this speed for
maneuvering if necessary, but will then return to the protection speed.

Notice that the pilot cannot override the automatic pitch up.

High Angle of Attack Protection
As speed decreases it reaches VLS, lowest achievable speed with autothrust engaged.
Whit autothrust inop. or not engaged, the speed can reduce to the first level of AoA
protection, V PROT which is shown as the top of the amber/black band (barber pole).
The flight control computers will maintain the speed at V PROT. If engaged the autopilot will
disconnect at PROT + 1. If the pilot override V PROT using the sidestick, the speed can
reduce to V MAX.
In Normal Law, the flight control computers will maintain V MAX even if the pilot holds a
sidestick fully aft, nose up trim is inhibited.


In the protection range, the Normal Law demand is modified and the sidestick input is on
AoA demand, instead of a load factor demand.


Provides the autothrust is serviceable, the speed is unlikely to reduce to V MAX before the
Alpha Floor Protection is triggered.
This is indicated by an A FLOOR indication on the PFD FMA and also on the E/WD.
If the pilot releases the sidestick at V MAX, the speed will return to, and maintain V PROT.

Bank Angle Protection
Bank Angle Protection limits are shown as small green dashes = on the PFD.
Protection is active at bank angle > 33, Max bank angle is 67 (green dashes on PFD),
The flight director on the PFD will disappear if the angle of bank exceeds 45 and the
autopilot will disconnect.

Positive Spiral Stability is introduced at 33 of bank. PSS means that bank angle above
33can be flown only with a deflected sidestick.
While PSS is in use auto pitch trim is inhibited.


Sidesticks (27-40-3/4)

The computerized flight controls that the sidestick activate require some new features:

No feedback (feel) is given. Sidestick is spring loaded to neutral. Control surface deflection
is not directly proportional to sidestick deflection. A sidestick deflection gives a rate demand
to the flight control computers (FCC). The FCC set control surface deflection to meet the
rate demand. For the same sidestick input the control surface deflections will be:

- large at low speed
- small at high speed

A sidestick input is a:
- rate of roll demand in roll
- load factor (g) demand in pitch
- yaw control is conventional

System algebraically sums the signals from both sticks if both are operated at the same time
(dual input). However, the total input is no more than the max input from a single stick.

A red Takeover pb in the sidestick (also serving as autopilot disconnect) allows one pilot to
override the other or to disable a damaged sidestick. If priority is taken an audio PRIORITY
LEFT (or RIGHT) is sounded.

A red arrow light will illuminate in front of the pilot who has been deactivated when one pilot
has taken priority over the other. A green CAPT or F/O light will illuminate in front of the pilot
with priority if the other sidestick is out of neutral.

Last pilot to press Takeover pb has priority.

Pressing Takeover pb for 40 secs. will latch the priority condition (pilot does not have to
continue to press Takeover pb). However, a deactivated sidestick can be reactivated by
momentarily pressing the Takeover pb on either sidestick.

Green CAPT and F/O sidestick priority lights will flash on both sides during dual input.

The Takeover pb and dual input warning system are commonly misunderstood. A green light
in front of you means dual input or you have just taken priority in a dual input situation and a
red arrow means your sidestick has been deactivated. These are two different things. Dual
input is almost always unintentional and unwanted. The takeover priority may be something
that needs to be done if a sidestick has gone bad or some other problem has occurred.
However, if YOUR sidestick is bad the OTHER pilot must latch it out with their Takeover pb.





Sidestick locks in place when on autopilot. Pilot action on sidestick (or trim wheel or rudder
pedal deflection of more than 10) at any time will disconnect the autopilot.


Flaps and Slats

There are 5 slats on each leading edge and 2 flaps on each trailing edge.

The flap handle has a trigger that must be squeezed to allow the flaps to move out of
detent with balks at 1 and 3 to prevent overshoot. The flaps will only provide the
configurations that are allowed for each detent, there is no in between the detents
positioning. The flap handle controls both flaps and slats. Controlled by two Slat Flap Control
Computers (SFCCs). Each SFCC has two channels, one for the flaps and one for the slats.
Each channel can drive its associated surfaces. If only one SFCC is functional the flaps and
slats will operate at half speed.

Both flaps and slats are powered by two hydraulic systems, flaps by green and yellow and
slats by green and blue. If any hydraulic system fails leaving only one hydraulic system
powering either slats or flaps the single powered control will extend and retract at half speed.

The flaps have 5 selected positions: 0, 1, 2, 3 and FULL.

Takeoff is allowed with 1, 2 or 3

Landing is allowed with 3 or FULL

Note: when landing with Flaps 3 the LDG FLAP 3 pb on the GPWS overhead panel should
be selected ON to prevent GPWS flap warnings when landing and also CONFIG 3 selected
in PERF APPR for proper approach numbers.


CAPT

F/O
Position SLATS FLAPS Indications
on ECAM
319 320 321
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 1 1 18
10 10 10 1+F
2 22 15 15 14 2
3 22 20 20 21 3
FULL 27 40 35 25 FULL

The flap position numbers are just that, position numbers, they do not correspond to degrees
of flaps (or slats) and in fact each model, the A319, A320 and A321 have slightly different
flap deflection schedules for certain flap lever positions. Procedures remain the same for all
models except for higher flap speeds on the A321. The flap indicator is in the E/WD and
shows the amount of extension for both slats and flaps, with three positions for the slats and
four positions for the flaps. As the flaps extends the ailerons are deflected downwards
(aileron droop).

Flaps 0 (zero) is flaps UP with all trailing and leading edge flap devices fully stowed.

Flaps 1 is a hybrid with two separate configurations for the same Flaps 1 handle position.
However, from a pilot standpoint the difference is transparent as the flap handle is treated
the same. Flaps 1 position will provide flaps 1+F for takeoff and anytime you are retracting
flaps from a higher setting (2, 3 or FULL). Any other time Flaps 1 will provide Flaps 1 (how
about that?). OK, so what is the difference between Flaps 1 and Flaps 1+F? Glad you
asked, simply this, the trailing edge flaps. The trailing edge flaps make up the +F as Flaps 1
is slats only in the initial position. During Flaps 1+F the slats and flaps will extend to initial
positions.


Now that I have you completely confused, here is the short story:

Flaps 1 on ground extending for takeoff Flaps 1+F (slats and flaps)

Flaps 1 after takeoff during initial flap retraction from Flaps 2 or 3 Flaps 1+F (slats
and flaps)

Flaps 1 for landing extending from Flaps 0 Flaps 1 (slats only)

Flaps 1 for Go Around retracting from 2, 3 or FULL Flaps 1+F (slats and flaps)

As you can see the only time Flaps 1 gives you Flaps 1 (slats only) is on landing, the rest of
the time Flaps 1 is Flaps 1+F (slats and flaps). The E/WD will show either Flaps 1 or Flaps
1+F depending on configuration.

Flaps 2, 3 and FULL all have both slats and flaps extended to some degree.

Flaps have overspeed protection at flap setting 1+F so that at 210 KIAS the flaps will
automatically retract to Flaps 1 (slats only). Please note on the A321 it is possible at high
gross takeoff weights that F speed will exceed the flap speed for 1+F. In this case the flaps
will automatically retract and the pilot will select flaps 0 at S speed which will retract the
remaining slats.

Slats have an alpha/speed lock function (A-LOCK on E/WD) that inhibits them from
retracting from position 1 to 0 when at a high angle of attack >8 or low airspeed < 165 Kts
for A321 or angle of attack >8.6 or low airspeed < 148 Kts for A320 & A319.


FLAPS LOCKED, four Wingtip Brakes (WTB) will block the flaps or slats in case of:
- asymmetry,
- overspeed
- runaway
- uncommanded movement.

WTBs cannot be released inflight. Slats and flaps operate independently, if flaps are locked
out, slats can operate and vice versa.
Asymmetry Position Pick-off Units (APPU): two units detects slats/flaps asymmetry.

Excessive differential movement between inner and outer flap is detected by Flap
Attachment Sensor (FAS).

ECAM warnings for SFCC 1(2) faults:
- SLATS (FLAPS) SYS 1 (2) FAULT
Slats or flap channel failed in SYS 1 (2)
- SLATS (FLAPS) FAULT
Both slat or flap channel failed
- SLATS SYS 1 (2) FAULT or FLAPS SYS 1 (2) FAULT
Complete failure of SFCC 1 (2)