Fly-by-wire

Fly-by-wire is an aircraft control system that sends pilot commands to flight-control surfaces through electrical signals rather than direct mechanical linkages. Computers can interpret those commands and modify them before they reach the actuators.

Flight control computer: A computer that processes aircraft control inputs and sends commands to flight-control actuators. It interprets pilot inputs and applies the control laws between the cockpit and the surfaces.
Mechanical flight control system: An aircraft control system that transmits cockpit inputs through mechanical linkages to control surfaces. It is the direct mechanical architecture that fly-by-wire replaces.
Apollo Guidance Computer: A digital computer that guided Apollo spacecraft and processed commands from onboard controls. Its control-system technology informed early digital fly-by-wire development.
Airbus A320 flight-control laws: The operating modes and control rules used by the Airbus A320's flight-control system. They illustrate how one transport aircraft's fly-by-wire system shapes handling and protections.
Redundancy: The provision of duplicate components or paths so a system can continue operating after a failure. Multiple computers and signal paths help preserve control after component failures.
Control law: A set of rules governing how a control system converts inputs and sensor data into commands. It determines how the aircraft responds to a pilot's input in each operating mode.
Hydromechanical flight control system: An aircraft control system that combines mechanical linkages with hydraulic power transmission. It shows how hydraulic assistance differs from electronically interpreted commands.
NASA F-8 Digital Fly-By-Wire: A NASA research aircraft that tested digital fly-by-wire control in flight beginning in 1972. It was the first aircraft to fly with a digital fly-by-wire system.
Boeing 777 flight control system: The digital fly-by-wire system used to control the Boeing 777. It shows a major transport-aircraft implementation with pilot-commanded control surfaces.
Common-mode failure: A failure that disables multiple components because they share a cause or vulnerability. Redundant channels may fail together if their designs or environments share weaknesses.

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