AUTOMATIC FLIGHT

CONTROL SYSTEM
(AFCS)

 The AFCS incorporates several

features to reduce pilot workload:
stability augmentation,
control augmentation,
manual, auto trim facilities and
various autopilot modes.

 The digital electronics Automatic

Flight Control System (AFCS) is fully
coupled in four axes (pitch, roll, yaw
& collective) to enhance handling
qualities

 The AFCS has duplex lanes in pitch,

roll and collective axes and has a
simplex lane in yaw axis.
Each lane is built around one
Automatic Flight Control Computer
(AFCC).

The system consists of

two AFCS computers,
two Attitude Heading Reference Systems
(AHRS), two Air Data Units,
one Vertical Gyro,
one Pilot Control Unit (PCU) and Reconfiguration switches.
The system is integrated to avionics equipments such as
radio altimeter,
weather radar.
Integrated Architecture Display System (IADS),
which provides the cockpit displays
(AFCS master warning, AFCS annunciation for autopilot mode
status and failure warning,heading bug, AFCS reference bug for
airspeed, baro-altitude and Radio height hold).

 Aircraft control inputs are achieved through

the use of series actuators also known as
CSAS actuators in pitch, roll, yaw and
collective. The CSAS actuators are integrated
with the main hydraulic boosters and are
electro-hydraulic servo actuators
with limited authority of 12% for pitch, roll
and collective axis.
There is a simplex CSAS actuator for yaw
axis with maximum authority of 20%.

 Auto trim is achieved through parallel actuators

in pitch, roll, yaw and collective with 100%
authority.
The Trim/Force Feel System (FFS) is an
electromechanical unit interfaced
1. with the mechanical flight control system and
2.with the Automatic Flight Control system
(AFCS).
3.The Trim/FFS can be operated directly through
manual control as well as by the AFCS.

Auto trim actuators provides the

following:
1. Engagement/Disengagement of anchor point by means of a magnetic clutch in
the spring based actuators. This anchor point can be displaced either
automatically or manually.
2. Artificial Force Feel about the anchor point generating a predetermined feel
force. The artificial feel is proportional to displacement in pitch, roll and collective
trim actuator as these trim actuators are spring based. The force feel is a
constant friction in the yaw axis.
3. Pilot input detection by means of a dual micro-switch.
4. Measure of pilot control displacement from the neutral position.
5. Pilot controlled displacement of the anchor point by means of an electrical
motor (manual trim function) or by declutching the artificial feels (stick release
function). Manual trim and stick release are operative even when the AFCS is
disconnected for pitch, roll & collective Trim/FFS units
6. Automatic displacement of the anchor point so as to maintain the series
actuators around their center position (auto trim function).
7. Viscous damping of the output shaft rotation when the anchor point is
disengaged so as to prevent overshoots or oscillations in spring based Trim/FFS
unit.

Stability Augmentation:
This forms the inner loop of the AFCS. It is a prerequisite for the AP modes and is engaged at all
times (from engagement of AFCS to its
disengagement).
The objectives are as under: - To provide basic stabilisation throughout the
flight envelope.
- To reduce pilot workload in turbulence.
- To provide long-term attitude retention for
hands-off flying and short-term attitude retention
in reversionary mode.

Control Augmentation:
This is designed to optimize the
handling qualities. This is engaged at
all times.

Auto-Trim:
Four trim actuators, one each in
pitch, roll, collective and yaw axes
are provided to
enable AFCS to provide auto trim
facility. This is designed to ensure
that the series
actuators are not saturated and
always operate about their center.

Auto-Pilot Modes:
The system supports the following AP modes:
A/S mode: Hold through the pitch axis of the IAS existing at the
time of mode engagement.
ALT mode: Hold through the pitch axis of the baro-altitude
existing at the time of mode engagement. This function is performed
through the collective axis, when the A/S mode is active on the pitch axis.
HDG mode: Acquisition and hold through the roll axis of the
heading bugged on the pilot or co-pilot HSI on PFD page as per selection
of the HDG selection switch on the main instrument panel.
NAV mode: Acquisition and hold through the roll axis of a NAV
route by means of the steering command signal supplied by the NAV
system.
H.HT + HOV mode: When selected, this mode holds through the
collective axis, the radio-height existing at the time of mode
engagement. Also it acquires and holds zero doppler velocities (longitudinal
& lateral) through the cyclic axes.

 AFCS Computer
The digital AFCS computer is responsible for
performance of all functions and features of the
autopilot.
Pilot Control Unit (PCU)
The function of the PCU is to interface the crew
and the flight control subsystem, for controls
and displays for basic stabilization, upper
modes, pre-flight test, maintenance function,
and trim reconfiguration. PCU failure messages
are displayed on PCU window,

Air Data Unit (ADU)

The ADU is pneumatically connected to
the total and static pressure probes and
is electrically connected to the total
temperature probe, the AHRS and the
IADS. The ADU measures the anemobarometric data and transmits these to
the user systems through
two low speed ARINC 429 digital links.

Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS)

There are two AHRSs. Each AHRS comprises the following:

a) Integrated Sensor unit (ISU)
b) Magnetometer
The Integrated Sensor unit (ISU) consists of 3 Fiber Optic Gyro
(FOG) based rate gyros and 3 accelerometers in perpendicular
directions.
The ISU receives magnetic heading from external magnetometer,
receives speed (indicated airspeed and true air speed) and
baro altitude inputs from Air Data Units. ISU internally uses TAS
information to improve the attitude and rate information.
ISU outputs through ARINC 429 high-speed digital link, the pitch
and roll attitudes, heading, three axes rates, acceleration in three
axes, baro altitude and indicated airspeed.

Vertical Gyro:
The Vertical Gyro, which is installed
on the nose equipment platform,
provides pitch and
roll attitudes to the AFCS, as the
back-up source.

Navigation System

IADS provides the following

navigation system output to AFCS:
a. Roll steering command,
b. Longitudinal ground speed (Vx)
c. Lateral ground speed (Vy)

AFCS Annunciator Strip

The AFCS annunciator strip on the IADS-PFD page
indicates failure and auto pilot modes status
indication.

 Trouble shooting of afcs system can

be done by the following inputs
Pilot SNAG REPORT
PCU ERROR MESSAGE
PCU MAINTENANCE CODES
PRE- TEST ON GROUND
SPECIAL TOOL DTS COMPUTER