John R. Todd

Digital flight control systems: some new commercial twists

The exponential increase in the number and complexity of aircraft digital electronic systems over the last decade has brought to light a number of fault and failure mechanisms not encountered with traditional mechanical and analog systems. One approach to handling these problems on future commercial aircraft is through the use of integrated modular avionics (IMAs). The issues and concepts associated with commercial IMAs are discussed. Some integration concepts for future fly-by-wire/fly-by-light commercial aircraft are considered. It is likely that highly integrated commercial modular avionics systems will be in service by the late 1990s or early twenty first century. It is expected that the extent and rapidity of modular avionics applications on commercial transport will depend largely on the flexibility and fault tolerance achievable at a reasonable cost as well as on the need for incorporation of new highly integrated systems.<<ETX>>

Integrating fly-by-light/power-by-wire flight control systems on transport aircraft

The ever increasing performance and economy of operation requirements placed on transport aircraft are resulting in very complex, highly integrated digital aircraft control systems. Despite the great increase in complexity mandated by these integrated aircraft control and management systems, substantial improvements in reliability, maintainability, weight savings, manufacturability, and survivability are also required. Fly-By-Light (FBL) and Power-By-Wire (PBW) technologies and their integration offer the potential of providing lightweight, highly capable, flexible, and robust aircraft control and power systems to meet the demanding requirements placed on future transport aircraft. This paper discusses FBL/PBW technologies and integration on transport aircraft.<<ETX>>

Fly-by-light flight control system development for transport aircraft

The Fly-By-Light Advanced System Hardware (FLASH) program is developing and demonstrating dual use fly-by-light hardware for flight control systems on military and commercial aircraft. Under the transport aircraft portion of this program, we and our industry teammates are demonstrating two representative fly-by-light systems. These fly-by-light demonstrations include a ground demonstration of a partial primary flight control system and a flight demonstration of an aileron trim control system. This paper describes these and discusses the dual use fly-by-light hardware developed for transport aircraft as well as the associated FLASH program demonstrations.

Development of fly-by-light systems for commercial aircraft

Fly-by-wire/Flybylight (FBW/FBL) controls are in the process of supplanting traditional mechanical control technology for commercial transport aircraft. Douglas Aircraft Company in cooperation with its suppliers is actively pursuing a comprehensive program to develop and validate advanced flight control concepts and technologies. This paper details the various perceived technical barriers associated with fly bylight as well as the work in progress to overcome them. The advantages of flybylight technology are discussed with particular attention to its potential to help prevent and/or tolerate electromagnetic effects.

Dual use fly-by-light: development for transport aircraft

The high cost associated with the development and acquisition of new, highly complex and integrated digital control and avionics systems is leading the military and commercial aircraft industry toward increased standardization, modularization, and the use of flexible architectures and hardware which can be applied to multiple airframes. This paper describes the ARPA/Industry Fly-By-Light Advanced Systems Hardware (FLASH) program as it relates to multi-use transport aircraft fly-by- light development and discusses how this technology and hardware will be translated into commercial and military production applications.

Review of the fly-by-light optical aileron trim flight demonstration system

In January of 1998 Boeing conducted successful flight testing of a prototype fly-by-light/power-by-wire concept demonstration system performing a flight control function. This paper discusses the demonstration system and the concepts it was designed to illustrate. Additionally, the aircraft installation and flight test effort will be overviewed.

It works and it's affordable: low cost distributed aircraft control systems

In 1986 it was anticipated that fly-by-light and fiber optic based aircraft sensors and data transfer would be in full scale production in a few years. However, by 1997 this widely acclaimed vision has yet to be realized. This paper considers what has transpired during this time and discusses why this technology has not yet fulfilled its vision. Additionally, current efforts to use commercial off the shelf(COTS) hardware to reduce costs and standardize systems are described.

Fly-by-light systems and integration for transport aircraft

The ever increasing performance and economy of operation requirements placed on transport aircraft are resulting in very complex, highly integrated aircraft control and management systems, substantial improvements in reliability, maintainability, weight savings, manufacturability, and survivability are also required. Fly-By-Light (FBL) technologies and their integration offer the potential of providing light weight, highly capable, flexible, and robust aircraft control and power systems to meet the demanding requirements placed on future transport aircraft. This paper discusses some key FBL technologies and integration on transport aircraft.

On-aircraft installation and maintenance of fiber optics

McDonnell Douglas has developed, installed, and tested a number of fiber optic systems on various commercial and military aircraft. From our experience installing and maintaining many different types of fiber optic flight test systems, it has become evident to us that the problems associated with installation and maintenance of fiber optic systems is perhaps the greatest impediment remaining to their incorporation on aircraft. This paper discusses the problems and issues associated with installing and maintaining fly-by-light systems on transport aircraft as well as some approaches and concepts being developed at McDonnell Douglas Aerospace--Transport Aircraft to alleviate these problems.

Fly-by-light installation and maintenance on transport aircraft

Over the past seven years McDonnell Douglas Aerospace-Transport Aircraft/Douglas Aircraft Company (MDA-TA/DAC) has developed, installed, and tested a number of fiber optic systems on various commercial transport aircraft. From our experience installing and maintaining many different types of fiber optic flight test systems, it has become evident that the problems associated with the installation and maintenance of fiber optic systems is perhaps the greatest impediment remaining to their incorporation on transport aircraft. This paper discusses the problems and issues associated with installing and maintaining fly-by-light systems on transport aircraft as well as some approaches and concepts being developed at MDA-TA to alleviate these problems.<<ETX>>