Following the fly-by-wire age that dominated the aerospace industry for the last thirty years, the current fifth generation of aircraft are moving more towards fibre controlled optical systems with more pure electrical actuation, replacing the heavier copper of the previous system as well as reducing the harm of hydro fluids to the environment whilst also reducing the total weight of the aircraft. Hydro-mechanical actuation was incorporated in the second and third generation of aircraft, although this also was later replaced in the fourth generation by electrical hydro-mechanical control. Although the basic principle of pulleys and rods to control flight surfaces survived throughout the second generation of aircrafts in World War II as well as continuing with some of the third generation of aircraft, the disadvantage of inefficient system weight marked its end, by the fourth generation, with the development of fly-by-wire systems. The new demands for speed, especially during the cold war era following achieving the dream of breaking the sound barrier, have placed a considerable pressure on aircraft designers to come up with more robust and better responsive aircraft flight control methods. The first generation of aircrafts held the pioneering technologies that initiated the pace towards control systems that are now characterized by increasing sophistication and ingenuity. The application of optical fiber inĪviation promises to be very exciting study, covering highlyĪircraft control systems have evolved exponentially within the last 100 years. Systems a successful replacement aircraft control system Motivator to achieve the technological advances to make Fly-byLight Systems offer inherent resistance to the new generation more To be ideal futuristic flight control system. Large bandwidth, immunity to EMI & HIRF FBL, it is expected Inherent characteristics of FBL like light weight, compact size,

Mechanical & Hydromechanicalįlight control systems have been replaced by Fly-ByWireĭue to increasing speed of modern aircraft. (FBW) and in future likely to migrate to fly-by-light (FBL) The present generation aircraft are using fly-by-wire In past, the aircraft control systems were based onĬonventional methods of mechanical and hydro-mechanical

Types of flight control system