A flight control surface assembly adapted to be mounted to a main wing of an aircraft includes a flight control surface having a first portion and a second portion spaced from each other, a connection assembly adapted for movably connecting the flight control surface to the main wing, such that the flight control surface is selectively movable in a predetermined movement between a retracted position and an extended position with respect to the main wing, and for each of the flight control surface, a first roller with a first axial face and a second roller with a second axial face facing the first axial face mounted rotatably and coaxially. with a gap between the first and second axial end faces. A biasing mechanism biasing the first and second rollers towards each other, and a transmission mechanism coupled between the flight control surface and the rollers are included.

An automated flight control functional testing system includes a first sensor on a pilot input device for sensing position of the pilot input device, and a distributed network of sensors on a plurality of control surfaces of an aircraft for sensing positions of the control surfaces. A controller determines an expected position of each control surface based on data signals received from the first sensor, and the controller determines an actual position of each control surface based on data signals received from the distributed network of sensors. An automated flight control functional testing method includes transmitting angle information to a controller from a first angle sensor on a pilot input device and a second angle sensor on a control surface of an aircraft, and comparing an expected angle of a control surface based on the first sensor with an actual angle of the control surface based on the second sensor.

Flight control surface actuation systems including skew detection systems and associated methods. A flight control surface actuation system includes a skew detection system configured to generate a skew detection signal that represents a skew condition of a flight control surface. In some examples, the skew detection system includes a skew lanyard and a detection mechanism assembly (DMA) configured to detect a lanyard displacement of the skew lanyard and to generate an analog lanyard displacement signal. In some examples, the skew detection system includes a hybrid sensing actuator that includes an actuator output and an actuator output position sensor directly coupled to the actuator output. Methods of utilizing a flight control surface actuation system include detecting a skew condition in the flight control surface utilizing DMAs and/or hybrid sensing actuators.

A flap and spoiler system of an aircraft wing including a spoiler having a spoiler leading edge and a spoiler trailing edge. The flap and spoiler system also includes a flap having a flap leading edge and a flap trailing edge, an axis of rotation through the flap, and a top surface portion above the axis of rotation. The top surface portion has a first semi-circular shape such that, when the flap rotates about the axis of rotation, the spoiler trailing edge remains substantially stationary. When the spoiler trailing edge remains substantially stationary the spoiler is not driven by a spoiler drive.

A skew sensing apparatus for detecting skew in at least one, or a plurality of control surfaces of a vehicle. The apparatus includes a tension cord which is held under tension between a) a first spring associated with a sensor and a sensor target and b) an opposing second spring. During normal operation, the apparatus is configured to maintain said sensor target in a first position relative to said sensor, thereby indicating said normal operation. During an abnormal operation, the apparatus is configured to shunt said tension cord such that said sensor target is translated to a second position, relative to said sensor thereby indicating said abnormal status.

A skew detection system for an aircraft flight control surface, the flight control surface being moveable relative to fixed structure of the aircraft by operation of a first gear rack driven by a first gear pinion and by operation of a second gear rack driven by a second gear pinion, the skew detection system including a first sensor arrangement and a second sensor arrangement, the first gear rack having a first set of teeth defining a plurality of first targets, the second gear rack having a second set of teeth defining a plurality of second targets, the plurality of first targets being configured to move relative to the first sensor arrangement and the plurality of second targets being configured to move relative to the second sensor arrangement, the skew detection system including a monitoring device to monitor the output from the first and second sensors and determine whether a skew condition has arisen in the flight control surface.

An aircraft moveable element monitoring system is provided. An exemplary aircraft moveable element monitoring system includes a signal generator (108), a signal transmitter coil (110) electrically connected to the signal generator (108); a signal detector (112); a signal receiver coil (114) electrically connected to the signal detector (112); and one or more moveable element signal transmission units (115a-c). An exemplary moveable element signal transmission unit (115) includes a first signal transmission unit coil and a second signal transmission unit coil, the first signal transmission unit coil being electrically connected to the second signal transmission unit coil. Each moveable element signal transmission unit is configured to be installed on a respective moveable element of an aircraft. The signal transmitter coil, the one or more moveable element signal transmission units and the signal receiver coil form an inductively coupled transmission line. The signal generator is configured to provide an electrical signal to the signal transmitter coil and the signal detector is configured to detect the electrical signal via the signal receiver coil. The signal detector is further configured to determine a condition of the one or more moveable elements by comparing the detected electrical signal to a predetermined signal characteristic.

An actuator control system can include a plurality of electro-mechanical actuators for operating one or more end effectors, a plurality of position sensors associated with the plurality of electro-mechanical actuators, each of the plurality of positions sensors providing an output indicating an actual position value, and a control system. The control system can be configured to receive an activation command signal and the position sensor outputs, and send a speed command for each of the plurality of electro-mechanical actuators and adjust the speed command of each of the plurality of electro-mechanical actuators using a mean position value based on the actual position values to synchronize movement of the plurality of electro-mechanical actuators together.

An actuator control system can include a plurality of electro-mechanical actuators for operating one or more end effectors, a plurality of position sensors associated with the plurality of electro-mechanical actuators, each of the plurality of positions sensors providing an output indicating an actual position value, and a control system. The control system can be configured to receive an activation command signal and the position sensor outputs, and send a speed command for each of the plurality of electro-mechanical actuators and adjust the speed command of each of the plurality of electro-mechanical actuators using a common reference parameter to synchronize movement of the plurality of electro-mechanical actuators together.

An aircraft control surface skew and/or loss detection system including an aircraft wing structure having a fixed part and at least two control surface elements wherein the at least two control surface elements are configured to be moveable relative to the fixed part. The detection system also includes a cable operably connected to each of the at least two control surface elements such that a tensile force is applied to the cable upon skew and/or loss of one of the control surface elements. The detections system has a sensor assembly including a first part and a second part, wherein one of the first and second parts has a sensor and wherein the cable is coupled to the second part such that skew and/or loss of one of the control surface elements causes movement of the second part relative to the first part. The sensor is configured to detect a first relative position of the first and second parts indicative of the wing structure supporting a load, and a second relative position of the first and second parts indicative of the wing structure being supported.