What is Primary Flight Control ?

The Primary Flight Control is the part of the complete function needed to pilot an aircraft. It is actuating three sets of movable surfaces of the airframe - aileron, rudder and elevator.

It provide for maneuvering the aircraft through movement of the flight control surface, which are actuated from the cockpit. These control are linked to hydraulic actuators which determine by positioning oh hydraulic servos, thus the control surface are fully powered by the hydraulic system. Beside uses hydraulic, the primary flight control also use electrical and mechanical power for operation and these are the primary flight control: Aileron Control System. Elevator Control System. Rudder Control System.

The uses of primary flight control.

The primary control surface of an airplane include the ailerons, elevators, and the rudder. The secondary control surface include flaps, trim tabs, spoilers, and slats. The primary control surfaces are used to steer the airplane in flight to make it go where the pilot wished it to go and cause it to execute certain maneuver. The secondary control surface are used to change the lift and drag characteristic the aircraft the assist the primary controls. Large turbine aircraft, gliders, and some other types of the aircraft are equipped with lift control devices called spoilers which may be used as the primary roll control.

Flight control surface The flight control are hinged or movable airfoil designed to change the attitude of the aircraft during flight. The primary flight control group include the aileron, elevator and rudder. These surface are used for moving the aircraft around its axes. The concept of these three control system and their interaction were developed by the wright brothers. It is the prime reason they were successful in establishing powered flight and controllability. Ailerons and elevator are operated from the cockpit by a control wheel or control yoke. Rudder are operated by foot pedal.

The location of the control surface.

Rudder

Ailerons : is part of the primary flight control surface used to provide lateral (roll) control of the aircraft. They control aircraft

Elavat or

Ailero n movement about longitudinal axis. They usually mounted on the trailing edge of the wing near the tip. Rudder : is a vertical control surface that is usually hinged to the tail post of the vertical stabilizer and designed to apply yawing moment to the aircraft, that is to make it turn to the right or to the left about vertical axis. Elevators : is the control surfaces which govern the movement of the aircraft around the lateral axis (pitch). They are normally attaches to the hinges on the rear spar of the horizontal stabilizer. Primary flight control operates The operation of primary flight control of this aircraft is through the control stick assemblies , through cable, push-pull tubes,and power mechanism, operates the aileron, elevator and rudder. This aircraft is control by control stick . This figure shows the control stick assemblies.

The forward and aft cockpit control stick assemblies ( figure above ) initiate movement of the aileron and elevator control systems and are installed on the cockpit floor at the centerline of the aircraft. The forward control stick assembly has two cable sensor bearing assemblies and aft control stick assembly has a crank and end fitting bearing assembly. When either control stick assembly is moves forward or aft, the stick pivots on the bearing fitting assemblies , moving the control cable which actuate the elevator . When either stick assembly is moved left or right, the stick pivot between the column and the housing moving the control cable, which acuate the ailerons. Ailerons.

The aileron ( figure above) are the control surfaces that control the roll of the aircraft. The ailerons are attached to the trailing edge of the wing with six hinge brackets that project aft from the wing rear spar .

Elevator Theory of operation The operation elevator control system is initiated when either control stick is moved fore or aft. Moving the stick actuated the control cable that moves the elevator control ball crank. The ball crank transmit the movement to the hydraulic tandem power mechanism through the control linkage. In turn, the power mechanism actuates a push pull tube, detecting the elevator up or down.

The elevator control system incorporates a full power irreversible hydraulic system, therefore forward and aft bobweight are installed. The bob weight induce a load on the control stick during pitching and acceleration and prevent pilot-induced oscillation through the elevator control. If the gravity forced is increase on the bob weight, the induced load tends return the control stick to the neutral position. Viscous dampers on the bobweight assemblies retard control stick movement to prevent overcontrol, which would create an overstress condition on the airframe. For functional schematic of the elevator control system

This diagram shows how the elevator works.

Rudder The rudder is the control surface that control yaw of the aircraft. Rudder is control b the rudder pedal. The rudder pedal is located at the bottom of the flight instrument.

The rudder control system provides for directional control of the aircraft.the system is operated by the rudder pedals in the forward and aft cockpit and is powered by an aerodynamically irreversible hydraulically actuated power mechanism. In the event of dual hydraulic power failure, the hydraulic portion of

the power mechanism is by passed and the system is manually actuated through control cable and linkage. An electrical actuator within the power mechanism provides for directional trim during normal system operation. In the event of hydraulic failure, directional trim is no longer available.

Rudder pedal Theory of operation :with the actuation of the rudder pedal ( figure at the below ) the control cable move the cable sector , through a push pull tube and linkage, actuates the power mechanism which deflects the rudder to the right or to the left.

When used to move the rudder, the pedal pivot between hangar assembly and

hangar support.the push pull tubes transmit the movement of the pedal to the push pull crank, which actuates the cable crank to move the rudder cable. When used to actuate the wheel brake, the pedal pivot at the bottom of the pedal by using toe pressure at the top of the pedal. Each pedal is equipped with separate master brake cylinder to actuate the respective left or right hand wheel brake.