12 Secondary

section

Flight Controls

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 The material covered in this document is based off information obtained from
the original manufacturers Pilot and Maintenance manuals. It is to be used
for simulation purposes only.

Copyright 2012 by Angle of Attack Productions, LLC

All rights reserved

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Table of Contents Table of Illustrations
Flaps, Slats & Spoilers Overview 3 Figure 12-1. Flaps and Slats Locations 5
Flaps & Slats System 4 Figure 12-2. Alternate Flaps Armed 10
Flap & Slat Protection Mechanisms 8 Figure 12-3. Flight Control Hydraulics 14
Flap Load Relief Mechanism 8
Leading Edge AUTOSLAT Function 8
Asymmetry and Skew Detection 9
Uncommanded Motion (UCM) Detection 9
Alternate Flaps and Slat Extension 9
Flight & Ground Spoilers 11
Spoilers: Protection Mechanisms 13
Spoilers Load Alleviation Mechanism:  13

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Flaps, Slats & Spoilers Overview
Flaps are movable devices in an aircrafts wing that
modify the wing shape to achieve extra lift and reduce
the aircrafts stalling speed during low airspeed operation,
such as while taking off or landing. Flaps may come in
various forms and shapes, but they commonly extend AFT of
the trailing edge of the wing. Like this, the total wing area
increases and there is higher room for generation of lift.
Slats also are movable devices, however on the aircrafts
leading edge of the wing that change the wing shape
to achieve extra lift. They commonly extend FWD of the
wings leading edge. Slats are also available to reduce
the aircrafts stalling speed during low airspeed and high
angle of attack operation. This is done by smoothening
airflow in the upper surface of the wing during high angles
of attack, therefore generating more lift.
Angle of attack is defined as the acute angle between the
wing chord line and the relative wind.
QUICK TIP: Slats have a higher field of action in the
inboard part of the leading edge, because when an
aircraft stalls, this is the part of the wing that stalls first. This
occurs so that in the initial phases of a stall, the ailerons
are still able to provide roll control.
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Spoilers have a contrary effect to Flaps and Slats. They are
panels on the upper surface of a wing that extend upward
to disrupt the smooth airflow over the wing. As their name
states it, they spoil lift generation. When they are extended,
immediately behind them a controlled stall is induced thus
creating enormous amounts of drag.
During flight, they may be used in one of two ways:
To aid roll control by providing significantly higher roll
rates through uneven extension of all spoilers.
To allow for steeper rates of descent without a significant
increase in airspeed. It is not uncommon to find airliners
using flight spoilers to increase their descent rate
When the aircraft is on ground, the spoilers have the
following function.
As a rule of thumb, the speed at which an aircraft touches
down during landing is a few knots higher than the speed
at which it would have taken off. This means that when the
aircraft touches down, there is still a little bit of available
lift in the wings. For this reason, spoilers deploy upon
touchdown in order to completely destroy the excess lift
and allow for the landing gear to have better adherence
to the runway and reduce the stopping distance.
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Flaps & Slats System
Flaps and Slats in the 737NGX can be grouped into two
categories:
Leading edge Flaps and Slats
Trailing edge Flaps
In the leading edge, there are two flaps inboard of each
engine and four slats outboard of each engine. This
configuration is repeated on both wings.
In the trailing edge, there are a series of flaps both
inboard and outboard of each engine. These flaps are
double slotted which basically means that from the trailing
edge, one flap extends and from this flap, another flap
extends.
There is a flap lever in the cockpit next to the throttles that
can be moved to command either retraction or extension
of the trailing edge flaps. The lever has detents in the
following positions:
UP
1 respective position. Along with this, the leading edge flaps
2
5
15
25
30
40
When the flap lever is placed in the UP position, all trailing
edge flaps, leading edge flaps and leading edge slats
are retracted to their normal UP position. When the lever
is moved from its UP detent into any of the other detents,
the trailing edge flaps are commanded to the respective
position.
QUICK TIP: It takes approximately 38 seconds for the
trailing edge flaps to fully extend during normal operation.
The leading edge flaps and slats are sequenced to
extend and retract as a function of the trailing edge flaps
position. This occurs in two stages.
When the flap lever is moved from its UP detent into the
1,2 or 5 position, the trailing edge flaps move to their
extend completely and the leading edge slats extend only
halfway.

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 Trailing Edge Flaps Leading Edge Flaps and Slats

Figure 12-1. Flaps and Slats Locations

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Flaps & Slats System (Cont.)
When the flap lever is moved to any other detent after 5,
the trailing edge flaps move to their respective position.
Along with this, the leading edge slats extend completely.
The leading edge flaps are already fully extended.
Trailing edge flaps may be controlled by one of two ways:
Hydraulically
Electrically
During normal operation, the hydraulic system B powers all
trailing edge flaps. System redundancy is provided in a
way by which if there is a hydraulic system B failure, trailing
edge flaps may still be operated electrically through the
alternate flap extension mechanism.
When the flap lever is moved, commands are given to
a flap control unit that uses hydraulic system B pressure
to move the trailing edge flaps through a power drive
unit (PDU). The PDU converts hydraulic pressure into
mechanical force to operate the trailing edge flaps. The
PDU also has a valve by which flap extension may be
bypassed.
Leading edge flaps and slats may be controlled by one of
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two ways:
Hydraulically
Electrically
During normal operation, the hydraulic system B powers
all leading edge flaps and slats. These move with respect
to trailing edge flaps in the way we described previously.
When the flap lever is moved, the trailing edge system
sends input to the leading edge flap and slat control
valve.
During alternate operation, the standby hydraulic system
powers the leading edge flaps and slats and operates
them electrically in order to fully extend them.
QUICK TIP: During alternate operation, the leading edge
flaps and slats can not be retracted in flight. The only
way to do so is by authorized maintenance engineers on
ground.
Leading edge flaps and slats have two indicator lights in
the cockpit, located below the trailing edge flap position
indicator:
LE FLAPS EXT: This light comes on when all of the leading
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Flaps & Slats System (Cont.)
edge flaps and slats are either partially or fully extended. Notes
LE FLAPS TRANSIT: This light comes on when a leading
edge flap or slat is not in its commanded position.

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Flap & Slat Protection Mechanisms
Flaps and slats have several protection mechanisms. It is
important to understand a few of these in particular:
Flap load relief mechanism
Leading edge AUTOSLAT function
Asymmetry and skew detection
Un-commanded motion (UCM) detection
Trailing edge alternate flap extension
Flap Load Relief Mechanism
Provides the trailing edge flaps with a load relief function
that protects the flaps from excessive aerodynamic
loads. Flap position is changed when airspeed exceed
certain limits, however, the flap lever does not move. This
mechanism operates only when the flap lever is set at
either the 30 or 40 detent.
If the trailing edge flaps are set to 40, they retract to 30 if
airspeed exceeds 163 indicated knots and they re-extend
to 40 when airspeed decreases below 158 indicated
knots.
If the trailing edge flaps are set to 30, they retract to 25
if the airspeed exceeds 176 indicated knots and they
re-extend to 30 when airspeed decreases below 171
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indicated knots.
When the trailing edge flap load relief function is active,
the FLAP LOAD RELIEF light illuminates.
Leading Edge AUTOSLAT Function
The autoslat function moves leading edge flaps to the fully
extended position when the system senses that the aircraft
is approaching a stall condition. Autoslat operation is
powered by the hydraulic system B, but an alternate
source of power is also provided through the hydraulic
Power Transfer Unit (PTU).
This feature is only available when the flap lever is in the
1,2 or 5 detent, however, there is an optional package
for short field operation that activates this system when the
flap lever is in any of the previously mentioned positions, or
the 10,15 or 25 detents.
The leading edge slats return to their normal extended
position when the stall condition has been prevented by
decreasing the nose up attitude.
In spite of the fact that the autoslat function moves
the leading edge devices for protection, the LE FLAPS
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Flap & Slat Protection Mechanisms
TRANSIT does not come on indicating an uncommanded
transit, because after all, the flaps and slat extension during
autoslat operation is a controlled process.
Asymmetry and Skew Detection
This feature measures if flaps are aligned during their
extension or retraction.
QUICK TIP: The first sign of flaps not being aligned is an
inadvertent aircraft rolling tendency.
When nonalignment occurs, the asymmetry and skew
detection mechanism stops hydraulic pressure B from
powering the flaps system. Flaps extension is also bypassed
in the Power Drive Unit we mentioned earlier.
It is important to know that during skew, the flap position
indicator may not necessarily point the true flap position.
Uncommanded Motion (UCM) Detection
This feature stops hydraulic system pressure extend flaps
or slats when these move from their commanded position.
If there is uncommanded motion, flaps extension is also
bypassed in the Power Drive Unit.
If two or more leading edge devices more from their
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commanded position, they are bypassed and hydraulic
power is stopped, however, if only one trailing edge
device moves from its commanded position then the
same effect occurs. This feature is inhibited at indicated
airspeeds below 60 knots.
QUICK TIP: The mechanisms for Flap Load Relief, Asymmetry
and Skew Detection and Uncommanded Motion detection
are NOT available during alternate flaps extension
operation.
Alternate Flaps and Slat Extension
We mentioned previously that the Hydraulic system B
powers flaps and slats in the 737NGX. When there is a
system B failure, alternate extension allows for flaps and
slats to be operated with an electric motor.
The STBY hydraulic system supplies STBY hydraulic power
to operate flaps and slats during alternate extension. It is
important to know the following:
During alternate extension, trailing edge flaps may be
extended and retracted, however leading edge flaps and
slats may only be extended.
The only way to retract leading edge flaps and slats
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Flap & Slat Prot. Mech. (Cont.)
when alternate extension is in operation, is by returning to
normal operation provided hydraulic system B pressure is
available.

There are two cockpit switches associated to alternate

extension. These are located in the flight controls panel.

Alternate Flap Arm Master is a guarded switch to

electrically arm the alternate flap control system.

Alternate Flap Control Switch is a three position switch:

UP, OFF, DOWN. Once this switch is energized, it acts as
the control system for retracting or extending flaps during
alternate operation. The switch must be held in the DOWN
position to extend flaps, however, with only one tap in the
UP direction, the flaps retract.

Figure 12-2. Alternate Flaps Armed and Commanded Down

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Flight & Ground Spoilers
Flight spoilers are panels on the upper surface of each
wing that disrupt smooth airflow. They are used in flight for
two purposes:
To aid roll control,
To allow for steeper rates of descent without a significant
increase in airspeed.
Ground spoilers are used on ground to destroy all excess
lift when the aircraft lands so that the wheels have better
adherence to the runway and braking action is improved.
In other words, the weight is swifted from the wings to the
wheels.
In the 737NGX, there are four flight spoilers on each
wing. Two of these on each wing are powered by the
hydraulic system B and the other two are powered by the
hydraulic system A. This arrangement allows for symmetrical
deployment in case one of the hydraulic systems fails.
There are also two ground spoilers on each wing, making
four in total. All four of these are powered by hydraulic
system A.
QUICK TIP: There is no manual reversion available for
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ground spoilers, which means when hydraulic system A fails,
ground spoilers will not deploy.
Flight spoilers are controlled with the speed brake lever on
the control stand. This lever has four positions:
DOWN: All flight and ground spoilers are down and
retracted
Armed: Arms the auto spoilers operation
Flight Detent: Flight spoilers reach their maximum safe
extension in flight, ground spoilers commence to extend
upwards only if the aircraft is on ground
UP: All flight and ground spoilers are in their fully extended
UP position
It is not recommended to use the flight spoilers past the
flight detent position during flight, as this may produce
significant vibration and may impose high loads on the
spoilers and wing.
The auto spoiler operation automatically extends flight
spoilers when the speed brake lever is placed in the Armed
position, and when all of the following are taking place:
Aircrafts radio altitude is lesser than 10ft
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Flight & Ground Spoilers (Cont.)
Thrust levers are in the IDLE position Notes
Landing gear strut is compressed
Main landing gear wheels spin faster than 60 knots

The auto spoiler operation may also automatically extend

ground spoilers upon touch down when all the previous
conditions have been met and when:
The right main landing gear strut is compressed

When automatic spoiler extension occurs, the system

also move the speed brake lever to the UP position
automatically. These situations occur during touchdown,
and during a rejected take off (RTO).

There are three lights in the cockpit associated to the flight

and ground spoiler systems:
SPEEDBRAKES EXTENDED: This lights warns that spoilers
are extended and operative in flight or ground.
SPEEDBRAKE ARMED: When the spoiler system is armed
and the automatic operation of the spoilers is functional.
SPEEDBRAKE DO NOT ARM: Spoiler system is armed but
automatic operation of spoilers does not arm correctly.

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Spoilers: Protection Mechanisms
Spoilers Load Alleviation Mechanism: Notes
This feature is designed to reduce the aerodynamic load
on the spoilers by limiting their extension past a defined
amount when certain high gross weight and airspeed
conditions are met.

When load alleviation is active, if spoilers are extended

to the FLIGHT DETENT position, they automatically retract
to 50% of the flight detent. Force in the speed brake lever
makes it hard for the pilots to move the lever past the 50%
of flight detent position.

Manual override of this feature is also available, meaning

pilots may bypass this load alleviation mechanism in case
it becomes imperative for safety reasons. They do this by
manually moving the speed brake lever from the 50% of
flight detent position, into any other position between the
FLIGHT DETENT and UP. The lever will return to the 50%
of flight detent position if pilot input is stopped, provided
load alleviation is still active.

When load alleviation becomes inactive, the pilots may

operate the speed brake lever manually and under normal
operation.

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 A STBY
B
SYSTEM SYSTEM SYSTEM
RESERVOIR RESERVOIR RESERVOIR

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
FLAP
CONTROLS

AILERON
CONTROLS

Figure 12-3. Flight Control Hydraulics

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