FLIGHT, 2 February 1950

171

POWER-ASSISTED CONTROLS
The Operation of Hydraulic Servo Systems 5 7
By C. A. H. POLLITT, M.I.E.D T r ';;-:::-^:-^/^-."?~-g&rr^^:''^,

I T is a popular supposition that the essence of any power-

assisted flying control system is that the pilot shall be
furnished with a means of supplementing his limited
" ' ' " l l »«»»».,„!•.»
physical capacity *„ to an extent 1.1...J.
„ „ —A—i. that ...:n
will enable
i_i_ him
i_:— to
i_ move
with ease the control surfaces of large aircraft, the all-up
weight of which may be of the order of 150,000 lb and more.
Although this definition is substantially accurate it is,
however, relevant to observe that the use of power-assisted
flying controls is by no means confined to large multi-
engined types; for a number of years servo units have been
used with much smaller and faster aircraft, jet fighters
predominant amongst them.
The need for power-assisted flying controls may be ascribed
to four fundamental reasons. These are: (i) to afford effortless
control of the considerable aerodynamic loads associated with
large control surfaces; (ii) to overcome the substantial inertia
loadings of linkage systems; (iii) to eliminate feed-back of the
static loads of the control surfaces; and (iv) the damping-out
of sudden gust loads more particularly associated with high-
speed aircraft.
The essential characteristics of an efficient power-assisted
flying control system may be summarized as follows: —
Fidelity.—The response characteristics of the usual manually-
energized control system include an appreciable time-lag con-
tributed by the aircraft's response to displacement of the con-
trol surfaces and also by the response of the mechanical linkage
system itself. With power-assisted flying controls the fidelity
of the system is defined as the relationship between the time
function of the power input and that of the output under
conditions of external disturbance. In some hydraulic power-
controls the arrangement is such that the fluid flow is propor-
tional to the positional error; by this means the pressure in
the system becomes a function of the external forces plus the
accelerations of the various masses of the flying control system.
Synthetic Feel.—Early investigations into the probable
requirements of power-assisted control systems for aircraft
embraced some consideration of the principles employed in
marine steering equipment. This form of power-assisted re-
mote control was found to be so fundamentally different ffom
that required for aircraft that it was impossible to draw any
significant conclusions. The fact that a ship's steering gear
gives directional control in one plane only, whereas three-
dimensional control is required for aircraft is, perhaps, the
cardinal difference. Moreover, in the event of failure of a
ship's steering gear the ship can heave-to while repairs are
carried out, but there is no comparable procedure with air-
craft, although adequate provision is always made for
emergency control.
There was one feature of the investigations, however, which
did justify common consideration. This was the question of
"feel." It is a fact that so long as it is possible to feel the
response of any mechanical steering -
gear to the manual energy applied to
55
its movement, the more finely co-
ordinated will be the movement of the 5O
mechanism. This is true on account
of the sensitivity which, imparted by
the feel of the mechanism, permits a
knowledgeable anticipation of its 4O
behaviour under varying conditions of
operation. Such anticipation, even
though momentary, is indeed highly
desirable with fast-moving aircraft.
There is, in fact, evidence to show
that when flying certain jet fighters
with a maximum boost ratio of 10 :1
(and which is adjustable in flight), the
majority of pilots select a 6 :1 ratio,
thereby manifesting a general prefer-
ence for not-too-near-minimum stick IO
loads.
Irreversibility.—This is an essential
pre-requisite. In one respect it is, O 2
perhaps, comparable with the prin-
ciple of a shock-absorber in that the Fig. 2. Comparison of stick force with g for
power control is required to dissipate Republic Thunderjet at high speeds (I.A.S.)
any reverse loading such as may be with and without wing-tip fuel tanks.
imparted by aerodynamic loads on the control surfaces and at
all events, to prevent such loads being transmitted back to 'the
control column. It is equally important that the system shall
remain irreversible in the event of a failure in the power-supply
circuit.
Unimpaired Response after Periods of Inactivity.—Periods
of prolonged inactivity tend to divest a system of its spon-
taneous action, a fact which can hardly be dissociated from
the characteristics of the power media employed. With
hydraulic power, which is generally conceded to be the most
suitable motivating force for servo controls, fluid-seepage and
variations of temperature are two of the most common causes
A = Fixed surface.
B = Trim surface.
"C = Control surface,
b •= Angular travel of trim surface,
c = Angular travel of control surface
Fig. I. Diagrammatic representation of manually operated
control assister with triple surface configuration.
of trouble. Both these factors are, in large measure, influenced ~.;
by the viscosity of the fluid in the system, and recent develop-
ments have clearly indicated the manifold advantages oi the
use of silicones as viscosity-stabilizing agents. Loss of pressure
due to thermal contraction of the fluid can also be compen-
sated by purely mechanical devices such as a spring-loaded'
piston accommodated within the piston-rod of the servo ram
which piston transmits fluid pressure via a suitably disposed
orifice into the pressure chamber of the servo unit. Hobs»n
powered flying-controls incorporate this feature.
Emergency Operation.—It is mandatory for a control-boost
system to incorporate adequate facilities for emergency control
The obvious answer is to duplicate the system; but such a %
procedure is, for several reasons, prohibitive. In the first
instance, airline operators have a rooted objection to hydraulics
in general and to system duplication in particular. This
aversion is largely attributable to maintenance difficulties
. which, incidentally, constitute one of
the operator's biggest headaches.
With a military aircraft duplication '""
525-55Om.p.h.|.A.S.-s' of hydraulics promptly increases
I NO TANKS \ / vulnerability; and with'all aircraft
there is a strict weight-penalty im-
posed by the additional pipes and
equipment, not to mention the fluid
within them.
Temperature Range. — Satisfactory
operation throughout temperatures
ranging from - 6 5 deg F to + 150 deg
F is also called for. This requirement
is again largely contingent upon the '
fluid viscosity in the system, and
earlier observations on "unimpaired
response after periods of inactivity"
are equally applicable here.
Autopilot Operation.—There are
obvious advantages in a servo control
system which can be operated by the
3 4 5 automatic, as well as by the human,
LOAD FACTOR (y units)
pilot. By placing the automatic pilot
ahead of the boost linkage, the servo
system can be made sensible to auto-
pilot loads in precisely the same