Boeing 777 Flight Control System

INTRODUCTION Electronic controls systems have been used in commercial aviation for more than 40 years. With the introduction of the Concorde, the use of electronic systems (with mechanical backups) to manipulate the hydraulic controls used to fly by wire started the revolution on flight control. Digital systems were first used in the Airbus 310 where digital computers controlled flight control surfaces. European experience in Fly-by-Wire (FBW) application is now some 30 years old. With the entry into service of the A320, a new standard of FBW was defined in the flight control law and system integration areas. The United States was lagging in these achievements. The Boeing Company, embarked in an unprecedented journey to built a totally FBW controlled aircraft and completely design and integrated by computer. The Boeing 777 is the first commercial aircraft manufactured by Boeing which employees a FBW Primary Flight Control System. Not only this aircraft created great challenges in the technological arena but in the managerial area as well. The policy of open door or all the problems will be shared represented a challenge. The fact that this aircraft was completely design and integrated by computer created some challenges in the Systems Engineering as well. The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the flight control characteristics and constraints for the Boeing 777 FBW aircraft.