Copyright D.P. Browne 2011
Flight Controls
The A330 flight controls are of the “Fly By Wire” type. 5 computers take in commands from the flight crew and translate them into control signals for the elevators and ailerons. The 5 computers consist of 3 Primary computers (PRIM) and 2 Secondary (SEC) computers.
The fly by wire computers signal hydraulic servos to drive the flight control surfaces. Each axis has the ability to be controlled by several computers and several hydraulic systems, creating a built in redundancy against system failure.
Each PRIM is able to control the aircraft. If any one PRIM fails, the next PRIM takes up command. If all 3 PRIMS fail, then the SEC tak over the primary flight control.
Each control surface is powered by multiple hydraulic circuits. A loss of any one hydraulic circuit, blue, yellow or green, does not result in loss of the control surface movement.
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