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Old 4th Sep 2014, 00:17
  #27 (permalink)  
fdr
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: 3rd Rock, #29B
Posts: 2,956
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pennies worth...

The AI FBW logic acts to provide protection away from the stall, but it is just another system and as such has limits that may exceed the design criteria. At that point, even without system failure, the aircraft may achieve a stall. At that point, the fact that it is such a rare and unexpected outcome, and indeed "trained" out of the normal expectation of the crew, results in potential issues arising in the recovery.

The basic recovery for any airplane achieving a loss of control of flightpath remains simple, and is the same for an F4, MiG21 B777 or a C150, or a Pitts S1... aircraft are inherently recoverable without pilot intervention once the thrust pitch couple is removed, except where the FBW has acted in such a manner to put the controls in a non neutral position... i.e., sensor failure, software faults. In the latter case, the pilot may well need to defeat the logic to achieve the inherent longitudinal stability of the airplane. (true to the point of initial departure... ).

I routinely (poor choice of words) stall large and small aircraft in test, and the factors I emphasise in the test brief and test cards is ensuring that the recovery is not complicated by power additions, and that the crew terminate stab trim before reducing speed below Vref. We also conduct test profile training in simulators, however the stall conditions of the simulator are not necessarily indicative of the aircrafts actual dynamics and performance. The ride in the cockpit of a large aircraft in the stall is rather more interesting than the simulator, vertical and lateral accelerations at the seat are considerable.

If you are comfortable with the assumption that your aircraft cannot stall, so be it. Be prepared to recover when it does happen, and ensure that you do not forget the thrust couple and the stab trim position, particularly when you are now trained by AI design to not use a trim system as a matter of routine. At least the B777 and B787 still keeps a thumb in the loop to some extent... FYI, I prefer AI FBW laws when operating normally over TBC's but, when they go squirrelly, there is a simplicity to the TBC product that is nice in a time of high cognitive load.

cheers.
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