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Introduction to Fly-by-Wire Flight Control Systems
Introduction to Fly-by-Wire Flight Control Systems
The professional pilot’s guide to understanding modern aircraft controls
Is it possible to explain how fly-by-wire flight control systems work, without any math or complicated wiring diagrams? This book describes the fundamentals of aircraft fly-by-wire designs in an approachable way for professional pilots, aviation enthusiasts, and aspiring aerospace engineers.
The #1 guide to understanding the “why and how” of fly-by-wire flight control systems. This book is an approachable and easily understandable must-read for aviation professionals!
Want to hear about the concepts in the book? Use the link below to listen to an interview with the author: talking about fly-by-wire flight controls, the F-16 Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System, and much more!
Also soon to be released as an on-demand course by Daedalus Aerospace!
Topics Covered
Problems with mechanical/cable flight control designs
Why are four computers better than one or two?
Advantages of fly-by-wire and popular control laws
What sensors are needed? How do controls adapt if sensors fail?
Design considerations for risk mitigation
Read a Sample
Use these links to buy and read on your next layover! Available in print or ebook:
“I recommend it to anyone heading into a FBW aircraft or simply wanting to understand the concepts behind FBW. When I went through initial in a fully FBW airplane I wish I had a better grasp of the flight control system.”
J. Griffith
Professional Pilot
“An outstanding supplement to any pilots operating manual for those already piloting FBW aircraft.”
Mark “Forger” Stucky
Test Pilot and Commercial Astronaut
“Fills a niche that has been empty for far too long.”
David Fedors
NASA Research Test Pilot
Why did I write this book?
“I got a call from a pilot I met at G650 recurrent. He’s leading a Part 91 flight department, and wanted to dig a little deeper into fly-by-wire with his other pilots as a study topic. He knew that I am a test pilot, and asked me if there were any resources beyond the flight manual that might explain a little more of the “how” and “why” of fly-by-wire, beyond normal and non-normal procedures. I thought I could easily dig up and send him additional resources — deeper than the flight manual, but less than an aeronautical engineering PhD dissertation.
I found that there is quite an information gap between these two extremes, and ended up writing this book in the process of answering his questions.
I promise there is no math, it’s written for pilots.“
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About the Author
David Kern
David Kern is a graduate of the US Air Force Test Pilot School and US Air Force Academy. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot certificate with seven type ratings, and has logged time at the controls of over 80 different types of aircraft. In 2011, he was the USAF F-16 project test pilot for the Collier Trophy-winning Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (AGCAS).
