what is a fly by wire aircraft?

Answer 1

"Fly by Wire" simply means there is a computer interfacing the pilot's actions (stick, pedals, etc.) to the rudder, elevators, ailerons etc.

Answer 2

AJ_911 probably has the best answer so far.

In a conventional aircraft (non-fly-by-wire), the cockpit controls the pilot moves are connected to the flight control surfaces (ailerons, elevator, rudder, etc.) by a mechanical system, which may include cables, pushrods, levers, bellcranks, hydraulics, etc.

In a FBW aircraft, instead of having these mechanical systems, you have an electronic system. Much like a computer joystick is used to play video games, the cockpit controls in this case send electrical signals to flight control computers. The computers decide how the flight controls should be moved based on the pilot's input and the input from other sensors that measure airspeed, aircraft manoeuvring, etc. The computers then send signals to the flight control actuators (hydraulics or electric motors). But there is no mechanical linkage between the cockpit and the flight controls surfaces.

Instead of using electrical wires for the system, one could also use fibre-optics, dubbed "fly-by-light".

The type of controls used in the cockpit don't affect whether it's fly-by-wire or not. You can have a centre stick, or a yoke/column, or a side-stick, and any of these could be used for a mechanical or a FBW system.

The main reasons often cited for FBW are reduced weight and cost. Instead of having all those complex heavy mechanical parts, you just have wires. Whether or not it ever ends up being lighter and cheaper remains to be seen. Arguably at the least amount of maintenance needed is reduced.

FBW can also alllow the aircraft controls to work in advanced complex ways that are not possible with a mechanical system. This is where much of the appeal is for military aircraft and for helicopters.

Answer 3

The older aircrafts are being flown with a yoke stick. A yoke stick is just like an automobile handle cut in half. So when you tun it to right or left (only a few degrees, unlike the automobile wheel)---to move the ailerons of the middle wings, in order to bank left & right in conjunction with the rudder (it is moved by pressing the pedals---just below the yoke stick). In this case all the elements are interconnected with steel wires connected to the hydraulic valves. So when the pilot moves the yoke stick the steel wires open & close the hydraulic valves. You have to maintain these and keep on changing the steel wires at regular intervals.

Now the above operations are done by a small hand stick ---similar to the 'Microsoft Side Winder'---(placed on the left of the Captain & on the right of the co-pilot) which is wired to the hydraulic actuators which do the above operations. So whatever way this hand stick is moved it gives electrical command to the actuators which do the rest of the job. So the pilots fly it with simple electrical pulses. Easy...isn't it...?

By the way, now a days automobiles are equipped with this 'steer -by-wire' technology...called as 'drive-by-wire'. In this the accelerator pedal is not connected to the regular steel wire. It has been replaced by a small electric rotary actuator. so when you press the gas pedal this rotary encoder calculates the pressed distance and opens the fuel injection accordingly...interesting...isn't it

Answer 4

Fly by wire is a system that takes input from the pilot and feeds a improved input to the hydraulic systems. The only advatages are that it automatically trims the controls, and in the US, it keeps the plane from being flown past its structural integrity.
The reason that airbus flew into the bronx after 911 was that its tail was ripped off moving from full left to full right at too high a speed. that would have been avoided if the FBW had the same safety protocols as US FBW.
Those are the features of fly by wire.

Id like to add that all hydraulic and even direct rod controlled aircraft can be contolled by ground facilities and autopilots using non FBW technology. I can set my cessna 172 that has no computer so that it will fly me to any altitude, at any speed, at any airspeed, and change heading just by old fashioned gyroscopic and pressure related instruments.

Answer 5

This could be an aircraft that just follows a wire or one that is guided electronically using a small wire that follows and connects a controller to the controls on board the aircraft. In today's aircraft and vessels there are also computers that follow a detailed set of instructions and use outside navigation facilities.

Answer 6

Fly-by-wire aircraft use a computerized control system that decides how to best control the aircraft...major descions are taken by pilot but implemented by computer sysstem after numerous calculations on the data obtained from diffrent sensors.

Answer 7

**** Fly-by-wire system:
Usually connected to modern "HOTAS" systems, Hands on throttle & stick. Like the F-16, the stick is on the side and it barely moves, just senses pressure. The other arm rests on the opposire side pushing a lever for speed.

Sensors command surface planes to move based on what you want to do. All surfaces move to give the pilot the optimal attitude and AoA (angle of attack).

During air refuling, the pilot is just holding position, but if one looks outside, all tail and wing surfaces are constantly making minute corrections to keep the aircraft as stable as possible.

It also allows to pull as much "G's" as possible without having to fight the stick to pull on hydraulic servos.

It is all electronics with triple redundant or sometimes quadruple back-up systems for certain safety applications.

Answer 8

Older aircraft use cables and hydraulics to move flaps etc. Fly by wire uses signals in wires to activate the hydraulics to move them!!!

Answer 9

It is one where the commands from the cockpit are sent to the controls as electrical signals, rather than actual pulleys and ropes moving the control surfaces as you push and pull on things.

Despite the fact that it seems obvious to have electrical controls instead of physical ones (after all, you're not really "turning" the wheels of your car, either), many pilots distrusted fly-by-wire, preferring to physically interact with their control surfaces. Many russian military planes are still controlled by chains and pulleys. They refer to our planes as "toys."

Answer 10

A FLY BY WIRE PLANE IS A MODEL PLANE THAT YOU MAKE OR BUY THAT HAS A SMALL 3/4 OR 1/16 CC ENGINE IN SIDE IT IS ATTACHED BUY A WIRE CONTROL THAT IS HELD BY HAND CONNECTED TO THE AILERON AS YOU MOVE YOUR HAND UP OR DOWN THE PLANE WILL FLY UP OR DOWN AS IT FLIES IN A CIRCLE ...... UK DRIVER.