Flight Control Systems

The FCS is a full-authority, quadruplex digital

Fly-By-Wire system providing:

• Stability and control augmentation
• High agility
• Full carefree handling and manoeuvring

It is designed to enable the pilot to concentrate on the tactical tasks and to fly the aircraft 'head-up' in combination with the HOTAS (Hand-on-Throttle-and-Stick) concept applied to cockpit design. Emergency features have also been embodied in the system design to ensure maximum safety of operation.

These include:

• Low speed auto recovery
• Emergency 'g' override
• 'g' onset limitation
•  Dis-Orientation Recovery Capability (DORC)
• Automatic reversion

The system is designed to provide the necessary measurement (Air Data System) computation and surface actuation needed to perform all required manoeuvres ensuring carefree handling and manoeuvring capabilities.

The system is also designed to provide higher mode functionalities including:

• Autopilot
• Auto-throttle
• Flight Director Modes

The system is controlled by four Flight Control Computers and features primary and secondary actuation to ensure control along all axis (pitch, roll and yaw). The aerodynamic configuration is automatically trimmed to achieve an optimum compromise between performance and manoeuvrability.

Pitch control is provided by symmetric operation of foreplanes and wing flaperons, while roll control is primarily achieved through differential operation of wing flaperons. Yaw control is primarily provided by the fin mounted rudder. Cross feeds among the various actuation systems are also implemented to optimise aircraft performance and handling qualities. The slats and flaperons automatically optimise the wing camber at all Angles of Attack (AOA).

The FCS also features automatic reversion through various back-up modes. It is integrated with other systems through the avionics (STANAG 3910) and utility control (STANAG 3838) data buses.