Evaluation of an automatic continuous high-lift system in a flight simulator study with airline pilots

Abstract

AbstractIn the INTELWI LuFo research project, TU Berlin is investigating an automatic, continuously operating high-lift system for passenger aircraft. Today’s commercial aircraft operate the high-lift systems in fixed steps. Typically, five fixed steps result from the different requirements for take-off and landing. For each flap position, there is a speed of best glide. Since aircraft decelerate during landing, they usually fly outside the optimum point. This is improved by a continuous flap system, as it continuously adjusts the flap position depending on the current flight condition. Flight simulation studies allow modelling and evaluation of new flight control functions at an early stage of development. This paper evaluates the flight simulator study for the assessment of the Automatic Continuous Moving Slat/Flap System with a focus on the pilots’ assessment. Ten airline pilots took part in the study in the SEPHIR flight simulator at TU Berlin. The approach scenarios vary with regard to the energy content of the approach since the high-lift system influences the energy management. The evaluation is based on questionnaires answered by the pilots after each approach. The participating pilots particularly emphasised the reduction of the workload and the pleasant integration of the continuous flap function into the existing cockpit procedures. According to the participating pilots, there is potential for improvement and further scenarios to investigate the functions behaviour in the event of failures in systems that affect flap operation.