Fly By Wire
The Digital Fly-By-Wire concept uses an electronic flight-control system coupled with a digital computer to replace conventional mechanical flight controls. A fly-by-wire system also would be smaller, more reliable, and more responsive to pilot control inputs. The result would be more efficient, safer aircraft with improved performance and design.
In the first few decades of flight, pilots controlled aircraft through direct force — moving control sticks and rudder pedals linked to cables and pushrods that pivoted control surfaces on the wings and tails.
As engine power and speeds increased, more force was needed and hydraulically boosted controls emerged. Soon, all high performance and large aircraft had hydraulic-mechanical flight-control systems. These conventional flight-control systems restricted designers in the configuration and design of aircraft because of the need for flight stability.
