A320 FCTM

1. FLIGHT CONTROLS:

1.1. NORMAL LAW:

Characteristics in pitch

Constant G-load maneuver. If there is no input on the sidestick:

 The aircraft maintains the flight path,

even in case of speed changes
 In case of config changes or thrust
variations, the aircraft compensates
for the pitching moment effects
 In turbulence, the aircraft tends to
regain a steady condition

The computers automatically adapt the

control laws to the flight phases.

Lateral characteristics

If there is a lateral input on the sidestick, a

roll rate is obtained. At a bank angle of less
than 33°, with no input on the sidestick, the
current bank is maintained.

Lateral law is also a mixture of roll and yaw

demand with:

- Automatic turn coordination

- Automatic yaw damping
- Initial yaw damper response to a major aircraft asymmetry
Engine failure

In flight, if an engine failure occurs, and no input is applied on the

sidestick:

 Approximate 5 ° constant bank angle

 Constant sideslip
 Slowly diverging heading rate

The lateral behavior of aircraft is safe. The most

effective flying technique: fly a constant heading
with roll surfaces retracted.

To indicate the amount of rudder that is required to correctly fly with OEI,
the measured sideslip index appears in blue on the PFD and is referred to
as the beta target.

Available protections

NORMAL law provides 5 different protections:

 High AOA protection

 Load factor protection
 High pitch attitude protection
 Bank angle protection
 High speed protection
1.1. ALTERNATE LAW:

In some double cases, the integrity and redundancy of computers and of

peripherals are not sufficient to achieve NORMAL law and associated
protections.

ALTERNATE law characteristics:

- In pitch: same as in NORMAL law w/ FLARE in DIRECT law

- In roll: DIRECT law
- Most protections are lost, except Load factor protection

At the flight envelope limit, the aircraft is not protected, i.e.:

- In high speed, natural static stability is restored

- In low speed (below VLS), the automatic pitch trim stops and natural
longitudinal static stability is restored
1.2. DIRECT LAW:

In most triple failure cases, DIRECT law triggers. With this occurs:

 Elevator deflection is proportional to stick deflection

 Aileron and spoiler deflection are proportional to stick deflection
 Pitch trim is commanded manually
 1.3. INDICATIONS:

On the ECAM:

 In ALTN law:

FLT CTL ALTN LAW (PROT LOST)

MAX SPEED 320kt (320kt/M 0.77 on A318)

 In DIRECT law:

FLT CTL DIRECT LAW (PROT LOST)

MAX SPEED 320kt/M 0.77

MAN PITCH TRIM USE

On the PFD:

1.4. PROTECTIONS:

Bank angle protection:

The maximum bank angle is +/-:

 67°, within the normal flight envelope

 40°, in High-speed protection
 45°, in High AOA protection

High speed protection:

High speed protection adds a positive nose-up G demand to a sidestick

order, in order to protect the aircraft. As a result, this enables a reduction
in the margin between VMO/MMO and VD/MD.
In a dive situation:

 If there is no sidestick input on the sidestick, the aircraft will slightly

overshoot VMO/MMO and fly back towards the envelope
 If the sidestick is maintained full forward, the aircraft will
significantly overshoot VMO/MMO without reaching VD/MD. At
approximately VMO+16/MMO+0.04, the pitch nose-down authority
reduces to zero

Load factor protection:

The maximum load that is structurally allowed is:

 2.5g in clean config

 2.0g with flaps extended

Load factor protection enhances high AOA protection and enables

immediate and firm PF reaction, without any risk of overstressing the
aircraft.

High pitch attitude protection:

Pitch attitude protection limits pitch attitude to +30° / -15°. Pitch attitude
protection enhances high speed protection, high load factor protection and
high AOA protection.
High AOA protection:

High AOA protection is an aerodynamic protection:

 If the normal flight envelope is exceeded

the auto pitch trim will stop, the aircraft
will sink to maintain its current AOA
 If the PF pulls the sidestick full aft, a
maximum AOA is commanded

In addition to this aerodynamic protection,

there are 3 more energy features:

 If A/THR is in SPEED mode, the speed

cannot drop below VLS, even if the target
speed is below VLS
 If the AOA still increases and reaches
ALPHA Floor threshold, the A/THR triggers
TOGA thrust and engages
1.5. MECHANICAL BACKUP:

In the unlikely event of a total electrical loss, the temporary loss of five
FBW computers, the loss of both elevators or the total loss of ailerons and
spoilers, mechanical backup enables the PF to safely stabilize the aircraft,
using rudder and manual pitch trim.

A red « MAN PITCH TRIM ONLY » message appears on the PFD to inform
the PF that the mechanical backup is being used.

1.6. ABNORMAL ATTITUDES

The so-called « abnormal attitude » law is:

 Pitch ALTERNATE with load factor protection

 Lateral DIRECT law with yaw ALTERNATE

The laws trigger when extreme values are reached:

 Pitch (50° up, 30° down)

 Bank (125°)
 AOA (30°, -10°)
 Speed (440kt, 60kt)
 Mach (0.96, 0.1)
 2. AP / FD / A/THR

2.1. AUTOPILOT / FLIGHT DIRECTOR:

Managed and selected modes:

The DIR TO function is an

exception

AP/FD monitoring:

The FMA indicates the status of the AP, FD, and A/THR, and their
corresponding operating modes.

The main concern for the flight crew should be:

WHAT IS THE AIRCRAFT EXPECTED TO FLY NOW?

WHAT IS THE AIRCRAFT EXPECTED TO FLY NEXT?

 2.2. AUTOTHRUST (A/THR):

Interface:

When the A/THR is active, the thrust lever position determines the
maximum thrust that the A/THR can command in SPEED or THRUST mode.
Therefore, with A/THR active, thrust levers act as a thrust limiter or a
thrust-rating panel.

The A/THR system provides cues that indicate

the energy of the aircraft:

• Speed, acceleration, or deceleration, obtained

by the speed trend vector

• N1, and N1 command on the N1 gauge.

Normal operations: Operations with OEI:

To set A/THR to OFF:

1. Use of Instinctive Disconnect

- Return the thrust levers to

(I/D) P/B:

approximately the current thrust

- Press the I/D pushbutton

setting

2. Thrust levers set to idle:

For landing:
- Thrust levers should be set to IDLE.
- "RETARD" aural alert will sound.

3. Use of the FCU P/B:

Use of the FCU pushbutton is considered to be an involuntary A/THR off

command.
When pressed, thrust is frozen and remains locked at the value it had
when the A/THR P/B has been, as long as the thrust levers remain in the
CLB or MCT detent.

If thrust levers are out of detent, thrust is unlocked. A THR LK message

appears in amber on the FMA

Alpha Floor:

The example below illustrates that:

• The aircraft is in descent with thrust levers manually set to IDLE.

• The aircraft decelerates during manual flight with the FD off, as indicated
on the FMA.

When the speed

decreases, so that the
angle-of-attack reaches the
ALPHA FLOOR threshold,
A/THR activates and orders
TOGA thrust, regardless of
the thrust levers position.

The desired thrust can only be recovered by setting A/THR to off, with the
I/D P/B.

ALPHA floor is available, when the flight controls are in NORMAL LAW, from
liftoff to 100 ft RA at landing. It is inhibited in some cases of engine failure.

A/THR use – Summary:

 2.3. AP, FD, A/THR MODE CHANGES AND REVERSIONS:

AP, FD, A/THR system integration:

Any change in the AP/FD pitch mode is associated with a change in the
A/THR mode:

• If the AP/FD pitch mode controls a vertical trajectory (e.g. ALT, V/S, FPA,
G/S): A/THR controls speed

• If the AP/FD pitch mode controls a speed (e.g. OP CLB, OP DES): A/THR
controls thrust (THR CLB, THR IDLE)

• If no AP/FD pitch mode is engaged (i.e. AP is off and FD is off): A/THR

controls speed

The logical sequence of modes:

Vertical capture and tracking Lateral capture and tracking

Mode reversions:

Mode reversions are automatic mode changes that unexpectedly occur,

but are designed to ensure coherent AP, FD, and A/THR operations.

A reversion will occur, when the flight crew:

• Changes the FCU ALT target in specific conditions

• Engages a mode on one axis, that will automatically disengage the

associated mode on the other axis

• Manually flies the aircraft with the FD on, but does not follow the FD
orders, which leads to the aircraft to the limits of the flight envelope

Flight crew change of FCU ALT target  Active vertical mode not possible

HDG or TRK mode engagement  Disengagement of associated mode on

vertical axis