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A-320
Systems Study Notes
.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
This manual is for training purpose only. It has been developed to assist
new pilots on the A-320 fleet and to act as a refresher for more
experienced type rated pilots.
The information comes from several different sources, and therefore
may differ from standard Airbus documentation. In all cases, the
company’s SOPs, and standard Airbus documentation will take precedence.
The manual is not designed to be totally comprehensive, nor does it cover
the level of detail required for type rated pilots, it is exactly what it is
described to be, Study Notes.
NOTICE OF LIABILITY
The information in these study notes is distributed on an “as is” basis, without warranty. The
author shall have no liability to any person or entity with respect to any liability, loss or
damage caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly by information contained in
these study notes or it’s application in practice.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ELECTRICS 4 - 12
HYRAULICS 13 - 18
LANDING GEAR 19 - 21
BRAKES 22-25
PNEUMATICS 26 - 30
VENTILATION 35 - 37
PRESSURIZATION 38 - 41
FIRE PROTECTION 42 - 45
FUEL 46 - 49
FLIGHT CONTROLS 50 - 69
NAVIGATION 70 -118
ELECTRICS
The electrical system is divided into two separate and isolated channels;
number 1 and number 2. Electrical power is provided by two engine driven
generators, an APU generator, an emergency generator and two nickel
cadmium batteries. Each engine and APU generator, incorporating its own
constant speed drive and drive oil system as a single unit, is called an
integrated drive generator (IDG). Each IDG ensures a constant output of
90 KVA, 115/200 V 400 HZ, AC power. Should it be necessary to
disconnect an IDG in flight, the disconnect push-button (pb) should be
held for a maximum of 3 secs, and only when the engine is running
otherwise the mechanism will be damaged.
In normal operations, number 1 IDG provides power to AC BUS 1, which
then powers the AC ESS BUS, which powers the AC ESS SHED BUS. TR 1
is also fed by AC BUS 1 which in turn powers DC BUS 1 and the DC
BATTERY BUS. The DC BAT BUS powers the DC ESS BUS via the ESS
DC TIE contactor, which then supplies the DC SHED BUS.
The two aircraft batteries, numbers 1 and 2 are connected directly to
their respective HOT BAT busses. Each battery has its own battery
charge limiter (BCL) that monitors the battery charge level and if
necessary, connects to the DC BATTERY BUS via its respective BATTERY
contactor.
The number 2 IDG normally provides power to AC BUS 2, which powers
DC BUS 2 through TR 2.
The entire electrical network can be powered by only one generator;
either of the engine generators or the APU generator via the AC BUS
TIE contactors. On the ground, external power can also be used to power
the complete network.
• Engine driven-generators
• External Power
• APU generators
external power; turn the batteries on (AUTO) again; check on the ECAM
ELEC page to ensure that the initial charge rate after 10 secs is less than
60 amps and is decreasing. After 20 minutes the batteries should be
sufficiently charged.
IDG FAILURE
• If an IDG fails to power its own channel, the operative IDG will
power both channels automatically through the AC TIE BUS and
the Primary Galley Power will be shed. If the APU generator is
available, it will automatically replace the failed generator via the
AC TIE BUS and subsequently, the galley power can be restored as
the electrical system will be back to normal output.
AC BUS 1 FAILURE
AC BUS 1
failure with
the ESS TR
feeding the
DC ESS.
TR1 OR 2 FAILURE
TR 1 failure
with the ESS
TR feeding
the DC ESS.
TR 1 and TR 2 failure
with the loss of DC 1,
DC 2, and DC BAT
busses.
Only DC buses
available are the
HOT BAT and DC
ESS busses.
• If you are unlucky enough to lose both main AC busses and, your
Ram Air Turbine (RAT), the good news is that the Static Inverter
will connect to HOT BAT BUS 1 and provide power to the AC ESS
BUS. HOT BAT BUS 2 will supply the DC ESS BUS. Both AC SHED
and DC SHED Busses are also lost in this configuration.
The bad news here is that the batteries will only last for approx.
22 minutes however, if you go through the procedure in QRH 2.03
(Flight on Bat Only), then you can increase your chances by
increasing the battery life to at least 30 minutes. Reference to
QRH 1.01 will let you know what equipment you have left in this
configuration. Below 100 knots the DC BATT BUS is connected and
below 50 knots the Static Inverter will disconnect and you will lose
your AC ESS BUS, leading to a loss of the remaining CRT’s.
• If both AC BUS 1 and AC BUS 2 are lost and the speed is above
100 knots, the RAT will extend automatically. The RAT powers the
blue hydraulic system which in turn will drive a constant speed
hydraulic motor/generator.
RAT extension and coupling takes approximately 8 seconds, during
which time the aircraft is powered by the batteries only. Like the
previous example, AC ESS is fed by the static inverter which gets
its power from HOT BAT BUS 1 and the DC ESS is powered by
HOT BAT BUS 2. (Both AC and DC SHED busses are un-powered).
The red light on the EMER ELEC PWR panel (the only red fault
light on the overhead panel) remains illuminated during the RAT
extension.
When the RAT is coupled it powers the AC ESS BUS which then
powers the ESS TR and the DC ESS BUS. When the landing gear is
extended the system reverts back to being powered by the
batteries only. Once again, in this configuration the time available
on batteries is approximately 22 minutes. The DC BAT BUS
connects below 100 knots and the AC ESS is lost below 50 knots.
The recommended minimum speed for flight with the RAT powering
the aircraft is 140 knots, which prevents the RAT stalling.
If the AC busses have been lost due to a short circuit, it is unlikely
that the APU generator will couple and therefore, it might be wise
to conserve battery power. Each APU start attempt will drain
approximately 3.5 minutes of battery power. If only the batteries
are powering the aircraft electrical system, the APU will only start
below 100 knots when the DC BAT BUS connects to the system.
EMER ELEC
Configuration
CIRCUIT BREAKERS
• The circuit breakers (CBs) are either green or black. The green
ones are monitored and will display C/B TRIPPED ON OVHD PNL or
REAR PNL on the ECAM if one has tripped for more than 1 minute.
The Yellow collared (black) CBs on the overhead panel are for use
if you are unlucky enough to be flying on batteries only (see FLT
ON BAT ONLY checklist, QRH 2.03). There are also red collared
CBs on the rear panel that must never be pulled in flight; these CBs
are for the wing tip brakes. See QRH 2.34 the policy of re-
engaging tripped CBs, either on the ground or in flight. Essentially,
resetting CBs is not recommended except in special circumstances
which are outlined in then policy.
APU
SMOKE
HYDRAULICS
GREEN SYSTEM
The green system is pressurized by the number 1 engine-driven hydraulic
pump. There is a fire shutoff valve located upstream of the pump which
is operated by the ENG 1 FIRE pb. There are two pressure sensors
located downstream of the pump, one sends the system pressure to the
ECAM and the other to the Power Transfer Unit (PTU). Downstream of
the pressure sensors there is a non-return valve, a system accumulator,
a leak measurement valve, the various user components, a priority valve,
two load alleviation function (LAF) accumulators and the PTU hydraulic
line.
BLUE SYSTEM
The blue system is pressurized by an electric motor-driven hydraulic
pump. There is also a ram air turbine (RAT) that can pressurize the blue
system to approximately 2500 psi in an emergency. There are two
pressure sensors located downstream of the pumps which send system
pressure to the ECAM. Downstream of the pressure sensors there is a
system accumulator, a leak measurement valve, the various user
components and a priority valve.
YELLOW SYSTEM
The yellow system is pressurized by the number 2 engine-driven
hydraulic pump. There is a fire shutoff valve located upstream of the
pump which is operated by the ENG 2 FIRE pb. This system also includes
an electric motor-driven pump and a hand pump for operation of the
cargo doors when electric power is not available. There are two pressure
sensors located downstream of the pumps, one sends the system
pressure to the ECAM and the other to the (PTU). Downstream of the
pressure sensors there is a non-return valve, a system accumulator, a
leak measurement valve, the various user components, a priority valve,
two (LAF) accumulators and the PTU hydraulic line.
The PTU is a bi-directional motor pump located between the green and
yellow hydraulic systems. It enables either system to power the other
in case of pump failure. The PTU is automatically activated if there is
a pressure differential of 500 psi or more between systems. On the
ground with the engines not running, the PTU can be used to power the
green system by activating the yellow electric pump.
PTU in operation
GREEN system being
powered by YELLOW
system
ELECTRIC PUMPS
The blue electric pump will operate and pressurize the blue system on the
ground if the switch is in AUTO, at least one engine is running and AC
power is available. The pump can also be operated on the ground by
pressing the BLUE PUMP OVRD switch on the overhead maintenance
panel. The pump runs continuously in flight, unless the ELEC PUMP switch
is OFF.
The yellow electric pump will start automatically, regardless of switch
position, when the cargo doors are operated. If there is a power
interruption during cargo door operations, the pump is de-energized until
its switch is cycled. During cargo door operations, all other yellow system
users are inhibited except, number 2 reverser and the brake accumulator.
A yellow system hand pump can be used to operate the cargo doors if
there is no electrical power available.
YELLOW ELEC
pump powering
YELLOW system,
on the ground
- RAT pressurizing
the BLUE system.
- ENG 1 pump
switch is off
- PTU switch is off
PRIORITY VALVES
The priority valves shut off hydraulic power to the flaps, slats, landing
gear, nose wheel steering and the emergency generator if system
pressure falls below a certain predetermined value. The reason for this is
to ensure sufficient hydraulic pressure is available for the flight
controls, brakes, spoilers, and thrust reversers.
SYSTEM ACCUMULATORS
LANDING GEAR
The green hydraulic system provides power for landing gear extension and
retraction. In case of hydraulic, electrical or mechanical failure the gear
can be extended by gravity using a hand crank that physically disengages
the up-locks, opens the gear doors, depressurizes the system and allows
the gear to free-fall. The hand crank, located aft on cockpit pedestal,
must be rotated three full turns to enable the gravity extension. The nose
wheel steering, normally powered by the green hydraulic system, will be lost
after gravity extension and the doors will remain open.
Electrical signals are provided for gear and door actuation by two LGCIUs.
The LGCIUs receive information from the landing gear, cargo door and flap
systems. They then process gear and door position, sequencing, control and
gear lever selection. The LGCIUs also send information and signals to the
ECAM and other aircraft systems regarding the ground or flight mode; for
example the active LGCIU will signal that the aircraft is on the ground and
landing gear retraction will be inhibited; another example would be the
inhibition of flap extension during cargo door operations on the ground. In
the air, examples would be the inhibition of reverser operation or the
closure of the hydraulic safety valve above 260 knots, preventing the gear
being extended above this speed. There are at least 37 LGCIU outputs
which are obviously beyond the scope of these notes; for more information
see FCOM 1.32.10. p8.
• LGCIU 1 provides landing gear position information to the landing
gear indicator panel (next to the gear lever) and the ECAM. LGCIU 2
only provides this information to the ECAM, so if you lose LGCIU 1,
you will loose the landing gear position information on the indicator
panel. On the SD (WHEEL page) each landing gear position is
indicated by two triangles. Each triangle is controlled by one LGCIU.
• A green triangle indicates that its respective LGCIU detects a
landing gear downlocked.
• A red triangle indicates that a landing gear is in transit
• No triangle indicates that a landing gear is uplocked
• Amber crosses indicate an LGCIU failure
See next page
The nose wheel steering can be deactivated by turning off the A/SKID
NW STRG switch or by operating the towing lever on the nose wheel
(used for pushing back or pulling the aircraft on the ground). Indeed,
until the system is modified by Airbus, it is SOP to turn the A/SKID NW
STRG switch OFF prior to push back, and turn it back on after push back
is complete, thereby ensuring that the nose wheel steering is de-
activated during the process. A green NW STRG DISC message appears
on the ECAM after de-activation and this message turns amber after the
second engine start.
Green Hydraulic pressure will be applied to the nose wheel when all of the
following conditions are met:
• A/SKID NW STRG SWITCH is ON
• At least one engine running
• Towing control lever in normal position
• Main landing gear are compressed
• ADIRU 1 or 3 operative
BRAKES
The brakes are carbon multi-discs. The normal braking system includes
antiskid and autobrakes and is powered by the green hydraulic system.
The alternate braking system is powered by the yellow system and has a
brake accumulator. The alternate brakes may or may not have antiskid
depending on the level of redundancy. A dual channel Brake and Steering
Control Unit (BSCU) controls all brake functions including normal and
alternate brakes, antiskid, autobrakes and temperature indications.
Normal brake pressure is between 2000 psi and 2700 psi with full pedal
deflection.
ANTISKID
ALTERNATE BRAKES
If the green system loses pressure, the alternate system with antiskid,
takes over automatically, with the same capabilities as the normal system
except, the autobrakes are not available (nose wheel steering will also be
lost with a green system failure).
Avoid using the parking brake if the brake temperature exceeds 500° C.
AUTOBRAKES
Autobrakes are available with normal braking (green system) only. LO and
Med can be used for landing and MAX is for take-off only. To arm the
autobrakes, depress the switch for at least 1 second. During take-off the
autobrakes will not activate below 72 knots (ground spoiler extension).
During landing, with LO selected the autobrakes will activate 4 seconds
after touchdown and in MED, 2 seconds after touch down. A green DECEL
light in the autobrakes pb comes on to indicate that the actual
deceleration is within 80% of the selected rate. (it does not indicate that
the autobrake is activated)
• The autobrakes can be armed with the parking brake on.
PNEUMATICS
The pneumatic system provides high pressure air for the following:
• Air conditioning
• Pressurization
• Engine starting
• Wing anti-icing
• Potable water tank pressurization
• Hydraulic reservoir pressurization
• Aft cargo heating
The high pressure air is supplied by the engine bleeds, APU bleed and
external ground air units. Each source can be connected to the cross-
bleed duct where a cross-bleed valve enables interconnection. The
pneumatic system is controlled and monitored by two Bleed Monitor
Computers (BMCs). Basically, BMC 1 controls the left side engine and APU
bleed systems and BMC 2, the right side engine bleed system. If BMC 1
fails, BMC 2 takes over all monitoring functions except engine 1 and APU
leak detection. If BMC 2 fails, BMC 1 takes over all monitoring functions
except for engine 2 leak detection.
Bleed air is normally taken from the intermediate pressure (IP) stage of
the high pressure compressor. If IP stage pressure is too low, then the
high pressure (HP) stage automatically supplies bleed air through the HP
valve. In flight, if the pressure is still too low, the BMC will signal the
FADEC to increase engine RPM as required (usually might happen at idle
thrust).
The bleed air temperature is controlled by a pre-cooler that uses fan air.
The bleed air pressure is regulated by the bleed valves, which are down-
stream of the IP and HP valves. The bleed valves are electrically
controlled and pneumatically operated valves act as pressure regulators
as well as shutoff valves.
There is an overpressure valve downstream of the bleed valves which will
close to protect the system if the bleed valve fails to regulate high
pressure.
The BMC will close the engine bleed valves for the following:
APU
When the APU bleed valve is opened, the BMC sends a signal to the cross-
bleed valve to open and the engine bleed valves to close. The cross-bleed
valve has two electric motors; one is controlled automatically by the BMC
and one manually.
During normal operations with the APU bleed valve closed, the cross-
bleed will also close to isolate the two systems. The cross-bleed is opened
manually during a cross-bleed engine start.
PNEUMATIC SYSTEM
Note: engine 2 bleed system omitted for clarity
The system detects overheat conditions near the hot air ducts in the
fuselage, pylons and wings. There are double loops in the wings and the
fuselage back as far as the APU check valve and single loops for the
pylons and APU.
AIR CONDITIONING
Pneumatic air from the cross-bleed duct passes through two electrically
controlled, and pneumatically operated, pack flow control valves, which
regulate the air flow in accordance with commands from the two pack
controllers. The pack flow control valves or pack valves will close
automatically for the following reasons:
• Low air pressure
• Pack overheat
• Engine starting
• Ditching (when ditching pb is pressed)
• Engine fire switch pressed
The hot air is then either ducted towards hot air pressure regulating
valve and then to the trim air valves, or to the primary heat exchangers
and the two packs. The cooled air from the packs then passes to the
mixing unit where it mixes with recirculated cabin air and is ducted to one
of the three zones: Cockpit, FWD cabin and AFT cabin. The hot trim air
is mixed with the conditioned air after it leaves the mixing unit.
The pack controllers regulate the temperature according to the demands
of the zone controllers by modulating the pack valves, the pack turbine
bypass valves as well as the ram air inlet and outlet flaps. During take-off
the ram air inlet and outlet flaps close when TO power is set. During
landing, they close as soon as the gear struts are compressed and re-open
20 seconds after reaching 70 knots.
The zone controller modulates the airflow through the trim air valves to
optimize the temperature regulation. The cabin zone commanding the
coldest temperature will drive both packs to that temperature. Trim air
is then added to the other zones to optimize their temperatures.
If both packs fail, and for smoke removal, the ram air inlet can be opened
to ventilate the cockpit and cabin. Do not confuse the emergency ram air
inlet with the ram air inlet and outlet flaps operated by the pack
controller. (Yes, I totally agree, they really could have come up with
different names here!)
Anyway, this one, the ‘emergency ram air inlet’ opens when the RAM AIR
switch on the overhead panel is selected ON provided the differential
pressure is less than 1 psi and the DITCHING switch is not selected ON.
When the ‘inlet’ opens, ram air is supplied to the mixing unit and the
outflow valve opens 50%, if the CABIN PRESS MODE SEL is in AUTO.
• Each pack controller has two channels known as the primary and
secondary channels. If the primary channel fails, the secondary
channel automatically takes over and the pack flow is fixed at the
pre-failure setting.
• If the secondary channel fails the primary channel automatically
takes over with no effect on the optimization however the ECAM
signals are lost.
• If both controllers fail, the pack outlet temperature is then
controlled by the pack anti-ice valve to a temperature between 5°C
and 30°C in a maximum of 6 minutes. ECAM signals to
corresponding pack are also lost.
Each zone controller has two channels, known as the primary and
secondary channels. If the primary channel fails, the secondary channel
takes over and:
• The hot air and trim air valves close.
• The zones are controlled to 24°C.
• Pack one controls the cockpit temperature and pack two, the FWD
and AFT cabin temperatures
• ALTN MODE appears in the ECAM COND page
NOTE: Do not connect an external LP air unit when the packs are running,
it’s either one or the other, never both!
VENTILATION
VENTILATION SCHEMATIC
(Open circuit configuration)
• Open configuration
• Closed configuration
• Intermediate configuration (in flight only)
OPEN CONFIGURATION
The open configuration occurs on the ground only. Both inlet and extract
valves are open, and air is extracted overboard. During heavy rain, it is
recommended to select the EXTRACT pb to OVRD, which will close both
the inlet and extract valves and prevent water entering the avionics bay.
(both packs should be ON if this procedure is attempted).
CLOSED CONFIGURATION
This occurs on the ground and in flight. If the outside skin air
temperature is below a certain threshold, both inlet and extract valves
close automatically, and the air is circulated past the skin air heat
exchanger, and exhausted below the cargo compartment. This
configuration is the same as the abovementioned ‘rain’ procedure, except
the BLOWER and EXTRACT pb are in the AUTO position.
INTERMEDIATE CONFIGURATION
This occurs only in flight if the skin air temperature is above a certain
threshold. This configuration is the same as the closed circuit, except
that the extract valve opens partially to allow the exhaust of hot air
overboard.
ABNORMAL CONFIGURATION
This occurs when either the BLOWER or EXTRACT pb are in the OVRD
position. The system reverts to the closed circuit configuration except
the cooling air is supplied by the air conditioning system.
When the BLOWER switch is in OVRD, the blower fan stops and the
extract fan keeps running. When the EXTRACT switch is in the OVRD
position, both fans continue to run. Either a BLOWER FAULT or
EXTRACT FAULT, ECAM warning will be displayed.
SMOKE CONFIGURATION
BATTERY VENTILATION
A venture in the skin of the aircraft draws air from the space around the
batteries and vents it overboard, thereby ventilating the batteries.
An extraction fan draws air from the galleys and lavatories and exhausts
it overboard.
CARGO VENTILATION
The cargo compartments are ventilated with cabin air. An extraction fan
draws air from the cargo compartments and exhausts it overboard. The
system can add hot bleed air to the cabin air entering the cargo
compartments, thus heating them.
PRESSURIZATION
Ground
Before takeoff and 55 seconds after landing, the outflow valve fully
opens to ensure that there is no residual cabin pressure. At touchdown,
any remaining cabin pressure is released at a cabin vertical speed of 500
ft/min. An automatic transfer of systems occurs after each landing.
Takeoff
To avoid a pressure surge or ‘bump’ at rotation, the cabin is pre-
pressurized when the thrust levers are advanced, at a rate of 400 ft/min
until ΔP reaches 0.1 psi. At lift off the CPC initiates the climb phase.
PRESSURIZATION SCHEMATIC
PRESSURIZATION SCHEMATIC
FIRE PROTECTION
Fire protection and detection is provided for the engines and APU. Each
engine and the APU have dual fire and overheat detection loops installed.
The engine loops have overheat sensors located in the pylons, engine
cores, nacelles and fan sections. The APU has an overheat sensing
element in its compartment. There are two extinguishing agents for each
engine and the one for the APU.
Smoke detectors are installed in the lavatories, cargo compartment and
avionics compartments. The lavatory waste bins are provided with
automatic extinguishers and the cargo compartments have fire
extinguishing capability.
DETECTION LOOPS
If the APU fire occurs on the ground, a warning horn will sound in the
nose wheel well and a APU FIRE light will illuminate in the external
service interphone panel.
Each engine is provided with two fire extinguishing agents and the APU
with one. The agent DISCH pbs are located on the overhead panel. If the
APU fire occurs on the ground, the APU will auto-shutdown and the agent
will discharge automatically. In flight the APU must be manually shut
down and the agent discharged manually.
The APU will auto–shutdown in flight for a number of other reasons: for
example low oil pressure, high oil temperature etc., for further details
refer to the APU chapter.
Each agent has an electrically operated squib which is armed when the
FIRE switch is pressed; pressing the SQUIB/DISCH pb will discharge
the agent if required.
The forward cargo hold has 2 smoke detectors and the aft cargo hold, 4.
One detector in the forward hold is connected to one of the two
detection loops and the other to the remaining one. In the aft cargo,
there are two detectors connected to each loop. The SDCU receives a
signals from the loops and transmits them to the ECAM, which displays a
smoke warning.
A smoke warning is signal is sent if both loops detect it or one loop
detects it and the other one is inoperative. The cargo isolation valves
close automatically if a smoke warning is detected.
There is one extinguisher bottle that serves both the FWD and AFT
cargo compartments. The bottle has two discharge heads that serve
three nozzles; one in the FWD and two in the AFT.
If smoke is detected the following occurs:
FUEL
There are seven fuel tanks; three in each wing and one in the fuselage.
The main wing tanks are divided into two cells, inners and outers. Each
wing also has a vent surge tank, that is located outboard of the outer
wing tanks to compensate for expanding fuel. When the aircraft has been
refueled to maximum capacity, the vent surge tanks allow for 2%
expansion or a 20°C rise in fuel temperature. Fuel from the vent tanks
drains into the outer cells when capacity is available. The tank in the
fuselage is called the centre tank. Fuel cannot be transferred from tank
to tank except on the ground during refueling operations.
FUEL PUMPS
In normal operation, each engine is fed either one pump in the centre
tank or two pumps from an inner wing tank. The wing tanks are fitted with
sequence valves to ensure that when all pumps are running, the centre
tank will supply fuel preferentially.
CROSSFEED VALVE
The cross feed valve has two electric motors and can be used to balance
the fuel load by feeding two engines from one tank or one engine from
two tanks.
TRANSFER VALVES
Two transfer valves are installed to transfer fuel from the outer tanks to
the inner tanks. The transfer takes place when the inner tanks are
depleted to 750 KGS. When open, the valves remain open until the next
refueling, when they close. During steep descents or
accelerations/decelerations, the valves may open before the 750 KG
threshold.
SUCTION VALVES
The suction valves are closed when there is normal fuel pressure from
the boost pumps. The valves open to allow gravity feed from the wing
tanks, in case of electrical failure. The centre tank pumps are not fitted
with suction pumps, so gravity feed is not possible from the centre tank.
ENGINE LP VALVES
The LP valves allow the fuel to be cut off form the engines; the valves can
be closed by the engine master switches or ENG FIRE pbs.
APU FEED
The APU has its own fuel pump, used for APU start when fuel pressure is
low (due to a loss of AC power). The APU fuel supply is from the left side
of the fuel manifold.
All pumps are switched on prior to start up and the MODE SEL is checked
to be in AUTO. After both engines are started, if there is fuel in centre
tank, the pumps will run for a 2 minute test sequence, and then shutoff
until the slats are retracted when airborne or re-selected down; this
prevents take-off and landing using the centre tank. The centre tank
pumps will then run until 5 minutes after the centre tank is empty. The
wing tank pumps run continuously.
An ECAM warning will be given during AUTO operation, if the centre tank
has more than 250 KGS of fuel and either inner tank has less 5000 KGS.
Fuel is directed through the IDG heat exchanger and then back through
the fuel return valve to the outer tanks. The fuel return valve is
controlled by the FADEC. If the outer tanks are already full, the
recirculated fuel spills into the inner tanks though a spill pipe. If the
inner tanks are already full, then the centre tank pumps are automatically
turned off to allow fuel to burnt from the inner tanks. The inner tanks
will supply the engines until approximately 500 KGS of fuel has been used,
and then the centre tanks will resume operation.
USABLE FUEL
OUTER INNER CENTRE TK TOTAL
TKS TKS
VOLUME LITRES 880 x 2 6924 x 2 8250 23,858
WEIGHT (KG) 691 x 2 5435 x 2 6467 18,728
FLIGHT CONTROLS
SECs (3)
Sidestick
Electrical
orders Elevator
Stabilizer
FACs (2)
Hyd. Ailerons
jacks Spoilers
Rudder
Slats/flaps SFCCs (2)
Slats
Flaps
Rudder
pedals
Mechanical
back up
Rudder
Elevator
Slats
Aileron
Flaps
Trimmable horizontal
stabilizer (THS)
Speed brakes
Roll spoilers
Ground spoilers
Sidesticks
The two sidesticks are not interconnected and provide no feedback,
however they do have artificial feel and are spring loaded to neutral. The
sidesticks essentially send electric roll and pitch signals to the flight
control computers.
If both sidesticks are operated simultaneously, the signals are
algebraically added, up to a maximum of a single stick deflection. It is
therefore very important that only one stick is used at a time. In other
words, if one pilot commands a pitch up and the other a pitch down, then
there is a possibility of canceling each other out and likewise if both
pitch up, the added signals will probably lead to overcontrol; the same
goes for roll control. There is a priority pushbutton on either sidestick to
help avoid this problem, and an aural warning generated that announces
DUAL INPUT. In addition, the priority pushbutton is used to disconnect a
failed sidestick or take over control. In this case, the switch must be
held down for 30 seconds to disconnect the failed stick.
If a pilot presses the priority pushbutton to take over control, the
system annunciates this on the glareshield SIDE STICK PRIORITY panel
and there is an audio warning, PRIORTIY LEFT or PRIORITY RIGHT. To
ROLL CONTROL
Roll control is achieved by one aileron and four spoilers per wing.
Ailerons
The green and blue hydraulic systems power two servojacks on each
aileron. One servojack is active while the other is in damping mode. If the
active jack fails then the other one takes over. Both jacks operate when
the load alleviation function (LAF) is active during turbulence. The system
automatically selects dual damping mode in the case of a dual ELAC
failure, or for loss of both green and blue hydraulics. The ailerons droop
5° when the flaps are extended.
Spoilers
The four outboard of the five spoilers on each wing, assist with roll
control, all five act as ground spoilers, the two outboard panels are used
for the LAF and the three middle panels serve as speedbrakes. The five
panels are controlled by the three SECs and operated by either the
green, blue or yellow hydraulic systems.
If a spoiler fails on one wing, the symmetrically opposite panel on the
other wing is automatically deactivated. If a SEC fails or there is an
electrical failure, then the affected spoilers automatically retract,
however if there is a hydraulic failure, then the affected spoiler will
remain extended or retract due to aerodynamic force.
Ground spoilers
Ground spoilers extend automatically during a rejected takeoff when the
wheel speed is above 72kts. and either:
• Both thrust levers are at forward idle and the ground spoilers are
ARMED, or
• Reverse thrust is selected on at least one engine with the other
thrust lever at idle and the spoilers are not ARMED.
Ground spoilers will extend partially after landing on one wheel if:
• Reverse thrust is selected on at least one engine with the other
thrust lever at idle
This eases compression of the second landing gear strut when it touches
down, and makes for a smoother landing in this situation than otherwise.
The spoilers will extend fully on the second wheel touchdown.
During a touch and go landing, the spoilers will retract when the thrust
levers are advanced beyond 20° TLA (thrust lever angle).
After a bounced landing, the spoilers remain extended if the thrust
levers remain at idle.
Speed brakes
A green SPEED BRAKE memo appears on the ECAM when speedbrakes are
in use. The memo flashes amber if the speedbrakes are extended and the
thrust levers are not at idle.
The speedbrakes are inhibited if:
• SEC 1 and 3 fail
• The L(R) elevator has a fault (spoilers 3,4 only inhibited)
• Angle of attack protection is active
• Flaps in configuration FULL
• Thrust levers are above MCT
• Alpha floor is activated
If an inhibition occurs with the speed brakes extended, they will retract
and stay retracted until the inhibition disappears or the speed brake
lever is returned to the RET position for 10 seconds or more.
When the aircraft is flying above .75 Mach or 315kts with the autopilot
engaged and the speed brake extended, it may take up to approximately
50 seconds for them to retract. This is to avoid activation of the high
angle of attack protection.
Speed brakes should not be extended beyond halfway when below .75
Mach and above FL 310, again, to avoid activation of high angle of attack
protection.
PITCH CONTROL
Pitch control is achieved with the elevators and the trimmable horizontal
stabilizer (THS). They are both electrically controlled by the ELACs or
SECs, and are hydraulically actuated. If both ELACs fail the SECs take
over. The stabilizer can be controlled mechanically through cables
attached to the cockpit pitch trim wheels, provided there is hydraulic
power available. Mechanical pitch trim has priority over electric trim.
Elevators
The blue and green hydraulic systems power two servojacks on the left
elevator and the yellow and blue, two on the right. One jack is active while
the other is in damping mode. If the active jack fails then the other one
takes over. If electrical control is lost to the jacks, they both go into
centering or streamlined mode. If hydraulic control is lost to the jacks,
they both go into damping mode. If one elevator is lost, the other will
operate at reduced deflection to avoid excessive asymmetric loads on the
tail.
YAW CONTROL
Yaw control is achieved by the rudder. Yaw orders for turn coordination
and yaw damping are computed by the ELACs and transmitted to the
FACs.
Rudder
The rudder is electrically controlled by the trim motors or mechanically
by the rudder pedals. In mechanical control hydraulic pressure is still
required to move the surface. Three independent servojacks, operating in
parallel, operate the rudder. In automatic operation (turn coordination
and yaw damping) a green hydraulic servo actuator drives all three
servojacks. A yellow system actuator is always synchronized and takes
over if there is a failure.
Yaw damper
The yaw damper receives inputs form the ELACs and FACs. The
information is sent to the yaw damper servo for damping and turn
coordination. There is no feedback from the rudder pedals during these
functions.
The five slats and two flaps on each wing are electrically controlled and
hydraulically actuated via inputs form the flap lever. Signals from the
flap lever are transmitted to the two flap slat control computers (SFCC).
The slats are operated by the green and blue hydraulic systems and the
flaps by the green and yellow systems. If one hydraulic system fails its
associated surfaces will operate at half speed. If one SFCC fails, all the
slats and flaps will operate at half speed.
There four hydraulically operated wing tip brakes (WTB)to stop the slats
or flaps moving in case of asymmetry, overspeed, uncommanded movement
and symmetrical runaway. The wing tip brakes cannot be rest in flight,
and furthermore, their circuit breakers (red collared) must never be
pulled in flight. If the slats are locked out by the wingtip brakes, it is still
permissible to operate the flaps and vice versa.
There is also a flap disconnect system, that operates if there is
excessive differential movement detected, between the inner and outer
flap on each wing; this might occur if one of the surfaces attachments
fail and the system is therefore designed to stop further damage. If the
slats are locked out by the wingtip brakes, it is still permissible to
operate the flaps and vice versa.
There is an alpha lock system that stops the flaps from being retracted
at excessive angles of attack or low airspeed. The inhibition is removed
when the angle of attack is decreased or the speed is increased.
Flaps 1 + F
When flaps are selected to position 1 or CONFIG 1 on the ground, they
will extend to position 1+F, which is Slats 18° and Flaps 10°. After
takeoff, if the airspeed goes above 210kts, with the aircraft still in
CONFIG 1, the Flaps will automatically retract to 0° and the Slats will
remain extended until they are retracted, by physically moving the flap
lever to position 0.
During flight, when the flap lever is selected to CONFIG 1, only the Slats
will extend to 18°. The first Flap movement will be at CONFIG 2, where
the flaps will extend to 15°.
After flap retraction, CONFIG 1 + F is not available until the speed is
below 100kts, unless flaps 2 or more has been selected
NORMAL LAW
Ground mode
In the ground mode, the aircrafts flight control characteristics are very
similar to those of a conventional aircraft, where there is a direct
relationship between sidestick deflection and control surface deflection.
Pitch
Pitch trim is set manually prior to takeoff and there is no autotrim until
airborne, however after landing the pitch trim automatically resets to 0°.
During takeoff, and above 70kts, the maximum elevator deflection is
reduced from 30° to 20°. Once airborne, the flight mode is progressively
blended in.
Flight mode
The flight mode is active from lift off until the flare mode engages at
50’ AGL.
Pitch
The normal law flight mode is a load factor demand law, with autotrim and
full flight envelope protection. The aircraft maintains 1g in pitch
(corrected for pitch attitude) with the sidestick in neutral and wings
level. Once a turn is established the pilot does not have to make any trim
corrections in pitch because there is autotrim, both in manual and
automatic flight up to 33° of bank.
Essentially, forward or aft movement of the sidestick commands the
elevators and stabilizer trim to achieve a load factor proportional to the
amount of stick deflection. The same amount of stick movement produces
the same load factor regardless of the speed, assuming the same bank
angle.
PROTECTIONS
The flight director bars are removed when pitch attitude exceeds 25° up
or 13° down.
fly to prot and maintain that speed until corrective action is taken; the
sidestick must be pushed forward to re-enter normal mode. This function
provides protection against stall and windshear and will override any
other protection. On takeoff, V prot = V max for 5 seconds.
Alpha floor occurs between V prot and V max. At the predetermined
speed, the autothrust engages automatically and TOGA thrust is
provided, regardless of thrust lever position.
PFD speed-tape
indications
Flare mode
The flight mode changes to flare mode at 50’ RA. The system memorizes
the pitch attitude at 50’ as a reference and at 30’, gradually feeds in a
nose down pitch; reducing it to 2° nose down over 8 seconds. The pilot is
therefore required to feed in nose-up authority to flare the aircraft.
ALTERNATE LAW
Ground mode
Flight mode
The flight mode differs to normal law in that some of the flight envelope
protections are lost or degraded.
Pitch
In alternate law, all pitch protections are lost except for load factor
maneuvering limits. VMO is reduced to 320 kts due to reduced high speed
protection.
Flare mode
There is no flare mode in alternate law.
Roll
Roll control always degrades to direct law; there is no roll alternate law.
Yaw
DIRECT LAW
If the aircraft is in alternate law, then it will revert to direct law when
the landing gear is lowered. It is also possible for the aircraft to go
straight to direct law from normal law for example, with a triple IRS
failure. There are no protections available in direct law, except for
the aural stall warning and overspeed warning.
Both roll and pitch control in direct law give a direct stick to control
relationship, where the input is directly proportional to the surface
movement. An amber USE MAN PITCH MESSAGE appears on the PFD
when the aircraft is in direct law.
When the aircraft is in abnormal attitude law, the following will occur:
MECHANICAL BACK-UP
• Becomes active shortly after takeoff and remains active until shortly after touchdown.
• Sidestick deflection and load factor imposed on the aircraft are directly proportional,
regardless of airspeed.
• With sidestick neutral and wings level, system maintains a 1 g load in pitch.
• No requirement to change pitch trim for changes in airspeed, configuration, or bank up to 33º.
Flight
• Sidestick roll input commands a roll rate request.
Mode
• Roll rate is independent of airspeed.
• A given sidestick deflection always results in the same roll rate response.
• Turn coordination and yaw damping are computed by the ELACs and sent to the FACs.
• No rudder pedal feedback for the yaw damping and turn coordination functions.
Attitude Protection
• Pitch limited to 30º up, 15º down, and 67º of bank. Pitch limits change as a function of
configuration and speed
• These limits are indicated by green = signs on the PFD.
• Bank angles in excess of 33º require constant sidestick input.
• If input is released the aircraft returns to and maintains 33º of bank.
• FD command bars disappear at 45º of bank, re-appear at 40º.
ALTERNATE LAW
If Multiple Failures occur, the flight controls revert to Alternate Law.
The ECAM displays the message: ALTN LAW: PROT LOST
Ground
The ground mode is identical to Normal Law.
Mode
• In pitch alternate law the flight mode is a load factor demand law similar to the Normal Law flight
mode, with reduced protections.
• Pitch alternate law degrades to pitch direct law when the landing gear is extended to provide feel
for flare and landing, since there is no flare mode when pitch normal law is lost.
Flight
• Automatic pitch trim and yaw damping (with limited authority) is available.
Mode
• Turn coordination is lost.
• When pitch law degrades from normal law, roll degrades to Direct Law - roll rate depends on
airspeed.
• All protections except for load factor maneuvering protection are lost.
• The load factor limitation is similar to that under Normal Law.
• Amber XX's replace the green = attitude limits on the PFD.
• A low speed stability function replaces the normal angle-of-attack protection
o System introduces a progressive nose down command which attempts to prevent the speed
from decaying further.
o This command CAN be overridden by sidestick input.
o The airplane CAN be stalled in Alternate Law.
o An audio stall warning consisting of "crickets" and a "STALL" aural message is activated.
o The Alpha Floor function is inoperative.
• The PFD airspeed scale is modified:
Protections
o V LS remains displayed
o V ALPHA PROT and V ALPHA MAX are removed
o They are replaced by a red and black barber pole, the top indicating the stall warning
speed V SW
• A nose up command is introduced any time the airplane exceeds V MO /M MO to keep the speed from
increasing further, which CAN be overridden by the sidestick.
• Bank angle protection is lost.
• Certain failures cause the system to revert to Alternate Law without speed stability.
• Yaw damping is lost if the fault is a triple ADR failure.
• Pitch law becomes Alternate (without autotrim or protection other than Load Factor protection).
• Roll law becomes Direct law with mechanical yaw control.
• After recovery from the unusual attitude, the following laws are active for the remainder of the flight:
o Pitch: Alternate law without protections and with autotrim.
o Roll: Direct law
o Yaw: Alternate law
• There is no reversion to Direct law when the landing gear is extended.
DIRECT LAW
Direct law is the lowest level of computer flight control and occurs with certain multiple failures.
• Pilot control inputs are transmitted unmodified to the control surfaces, providing a direct relationship between
sidestick and control surface.
• Control sensitivity depends on airspeed and NO autotrimming is available.
• An amber message USE MAN PITCH TRIM appears on the PFD.
• If the flight controls degrade to Alternate Law, Direct Law automatically becomes active when the landing gear is
extended if no autopilots are engaged. If an autopilot is engaged, the airplane will remain in Alternate Law until
the autopilot is disconnected.
• There are no protections provided in Direct Law, however overspeed and stall aural warnings are provided.
• The PFD airspeed scale remains the same as in Alternate Law.
MECHANICAL BACKUP
In case of a complete loss of electrical flight control signals, the aircraft can be temporarily controlled in
mechanical mode.
• Pitch control is achieved through the horizontal stabilizer by using the manual trim wheel.
• Lateral control is accomplished using the rudder pedals.
• Both controls require hydraulic power.
• A red MAN PITCH TRIM ONLY warning appears on the PFD.
NAVIGATION
Thrust Levers
The thrust levers activate the flight directors during takeoff and go-
around by their selected position. The selection of FLEX or TOGA
positions on takeoff will activate the flight directors and the SRS
system; they will also trigger the updating of the FMGC position at the
beginning of the take off roll. The go-around mode of the flight directors
is triggered when the thrust levers go to the TOGA position during this
maneuver.
FMGS Operation
Each FMGC is linked to its’ own MCDU, radio management panel (RMP) and
electronic flight instrument system (EFIS). There are three possible
modes of operation: dual, independent and single.
The normal mode of operation is the dual mode, where each FMGC makes
its own computations and exchange of data via the cross-talk bus. One
FMGC is always the master and one the slave.
• If one autopilot is selected on, the related FMGC is the master
• I f two autopilots are selected on, FMGC 1 is the master
• If neither is selected on:
o FMGC 1 is the is the master for autothrust operation when
both FDs are turned off
o FMGC 1 is the master whenever the Captain’s FD is switched
on.
Navigation Accuracy
If there difference between the FMGC computed position and the radio-
position exceeds certain pre-determined limits, the navigation accuracy
changes from HIGH ACCURACY to LOW ACCURACY; Raw data must then
be used for navigation. The tolerances vary according to the phase of
flight; for example: enroute accuracy should be less than approximately 3
nm, whereas for approach, this changes to approximately 0.4 nm.
Flight Guidance
The flight guidance part of the FMGS utilizes the autopilots, the flight
directors, and the autothrust system to provide flight guidance. There
are two basic modes of flight guidance: Selected and Managed. The
selected modes are engaged by ‘pulling’ the appropriate knob on the FCU.
The managed modes are armed or engaged by ‘pushing’ the appropriate
knob. The only exception is that NAV mode engages automatically if the
DIR TO is selected on the MCDU.
Managed modes are used for vertical, lateral and speed profiles, as
determined by the FMGS. These modes are considered ‘long term’ modes
and are modified by action on the MCDU.
Selected modes are used for vertical, lateral and speed profiles, as
determined by the crew’s actions on the FCU. These modes are
considered ‘short term’ commands and will override the managed modes.
The EFIS has six display units (DUs); two are the primary flight displays
(PFDs), two are the navigation displays (DUs) and two are the electronic
centralized aircraft monitoring (ECAM). The ECAM DUs consist of an,
engine/warning display (E/WD) and a system display (SD). Three identical
display management computers (DMCs), process the inputs from the
various aircraft sensors and computers to generate the display images. In
the case of a DU failure, either automatic or manual switching allows the
display to be transferred to another DU.
Navigational radios
Navaids are normally auto-tuned by the FMGC, but may be manually
selected through the MCDU or radio management panels (RMPs).
VOR
Two VOR receivers are installed. They can be displayed on both NDs and
the DDRMI. Since DME/DME is the preferred method of radio updating
the FMGS, the VORs displayed on the NDs are not necessarily the
navaids being used by the FMGS for radio updating.
ILS
Two ILS receivers are installed. Number 1 ILS is usually displayed on the
CAPT PFD and FO ND and number 2 on the FO PFD and CAPT ND.
DME
Two, five channel DMEs are installed. Channels 1 and 2 are for normal
VOR/DME tuning. Channels 3 and 4 are used for radio updating of the
FMGC and channel 5 is for the ILS DME. VOR DME is displayed on the
NDs and DDRMI. Once again, the DME stations that are being used for
radio updating, are not necessarily those being used for display.
NDB
Two NDBs are installed. Information is displayed on the NDs and DDRMI.
NDBs are only autotuned if an NDB approach has been selected in the
FMGS.
The EFIS has six display units (DUs); two are the primary flight displays
(PFDs), two are the navigation displays (DUs) and two are the electronic
centralized aircraft monitoring (ECAM). The ECAM DUs consist of an,
engine/warning display (E/WD) and a system display (SD). Three identical
display management computers (DMCs), process the inputs from the
various aircraft sensors and computers to generate the display images. In
the case of a DU failure, either automatic or manual switching allows the
display to be transferred to another DU.
Navigation displays
The navigational displays show navigational information in one of five
modes:
• ARC (map mode)
• Rose NAV (compass rose map mode)
• Rose VOR (compass rose VOR mode)
• Rose ILS (compass rose ILS)
• Plan
The ECAM presents aircraft engine and system data on two of the six
identical CRTs on the forward instrument panel. The two central displays
are for the ECAM. The upper display is the engine/warning display
(E/WD) and the lower, the system display (SD).
Engine/warning display
• The E/WD is divided into four section:
• The primary engine instruments and fuel quantity indications
• Flap/slat position information
• Warning and caution information
• Memo messages concerning aircraft system status
System display
The system display has 12 different system pages that can be displayed
either automatically by flight phase or system degradation, or manually
by the pilots.
E/WD switching
The E/WD has priority over the SD, so if the upper display fails, the
E/WD is automatically transferred to the lower display. If this occurs,
the crew can manually select a system screen by pressing and holding the
required key on the ECAM control panel (this leads to, hot fingers!) The
SD can also be transferred to the Captain’s or First Officer’s navigational
display (ND) by using the ECAM/ND XFER switching facility.
ENGINE FIRE
APU FIRE
ENG OIL LO PR
L + R ELEV FAULT
A/P OFF
CONFIG
FWC 1 + 2 FAULT (amber caution with no aural warning)
A (T.O) memo appears 2 minutes after the second engine start or with
one engine running, when the CONFIG TEST pb is pressed. The memo
disappears when FLEX or TOGA power is set. The landing memo appears
below 1500’ RA if the gear is down or below 800’ if the gear is up.
The ice and rain system allows the aircraft to be operated in heavy rain
and icing conditions. Hot bleed air is used for wing and engine anti-icing
and, electrical heating is used for the windshields, sensors, pitot probes,
static ports and drain masts. The windshields also have windshield wipers
and rain repellent.
Wing anti-ice
The three outboard slats are anti-iced with hot air form the pneumatic
system. The wing anti-ice pb on the ANTI ICE panel controls the opening
and closing of the pneumatic valves in each wing. On the ground, the
valves will open for testing purposes but will close again after 30 seconds.
The valves close automatically if a leak is detected, after landing and if
there is an electrical failure.
Engine anti-ice
The engine anti-ice valves are electrically controlled and pneumatically
operated. Each engine nacelle is anti-iced by an independent air bleed
from the high pressure compressor. The engine anti-ice valves are
operated by their respective switches on the ANTI ICE panel. The
engines must be running for the system to work, and in the event of an
electrical failure, the valves will open and remain open until electrical
power is restored.
When either anti-ice valve is opened the following occurs:
• Maximum N1 is limited
• Continuous ignition is applied
• Minimum idle RPM is increased to provide adequate bleed air
pressure
Window heat
Electrical heating is used for anti-icing each windshield and for de-
misting the cockpit side windows. Two window heat computers (WHC); one
on each side, automatically regulate the temperature and provide
overheat protection.
Window heat automatically comes on when:
Low heat is provided on the ground and normal power in the air. The
windows have a constant heat output with no changeover.
Probe Heat
The pitot probes, static ports, angle of attack sensors, total air
temperature (TAT) are all electrically heated. Three independent probe
heat computers (PHC) automatically control and monitor the:
• Captain probes
• F/O probes
• STBY probes
On the ground the TAT probes are not heated, and the pitot heating
operates in low heat until the aircraft is airborne.
Drain masts
The drain masts are electrically heated whenever there is electrical
power on the aircraft. On the ground they operate at low heat and normal
levels in flight.
ENGINES
The A-320 has two CFM 56-5A engines. Each engine is equipped with a
full authority digital engine control (FADEC) system that provided full
engine management. The FMGC calculates N1 values for all operating
conditions and computes the maximum N1 limits in the case of FADEC
failure. The engine interface unit (EIU) transmits to the FADECs the
data it uses for engine management.
FADEC
The FADEC performs the following functions:
• Fuel metering
• Engine limits
• Engine parameter transmission and monitoring for cockpit
indications
• Automatic and manual starting sequences
• Thrust reversers
• Fuel circulation
• Detection, isolation and recording of failures
• Self cooling
The FADECs have two channel redundancy, with one channel active and
one in standby. They are powered by their own magnetic alternator when
the N2 increases above 10% or by the aircraft electrical system when N2
decreases below 15%.
Start sequence
During an automatic start sequence, the ENG page is displayed on the SD
when the ENG MODE selector is positioned to IGN/START, and the pack
flow control valves close. When the ENG MASTER switch is selected to
ON, the FADEC will control the start in the following sequence:
Note:
If the ENG MASTER switch has not been selected ON within 30 seconds
of selecting the ENG MODE selector to the IGN/ START, the pack
valves will re-open.
On the ground with the N2 below 50%, the FADEC monitors engine
starting parameters and if necessary, aborts the start. The FADEC will
then automatically crank the engine to clear out fuel vapors.
The FADEC will abort a start for the following:
• Hot start
• Hung start
• Engine stall
• No light up
The flight crew can interrupt the start sequence at any time by turning
off the MASTER switch.
The manual start sequence is partially under the control of the FADEC; it
will open the start valve when the ENG MAN START switch is selected
ON, and will open the HP fuel valve when the ENG MASTER switch is
selected ON as well activating both igniters. Additionally it will close the
start valve at 50% N2, however it will not automatically abort starts.
Ignition system
The ignition system is provided for engine start on the ground and engine
restart in flight. It also provides flame-out protection during icing
conditions, turbulence etc. The system consists of two identical and
independent circuits, channels A and B. During normal automatic starts,
one igniter is used for each engine; the FADEC will alternate channels
between starts. During in-flight or manual ground starts, two igniters are
used on each engine.
When the ENG MODE selector is in NORM and the engines are running,
continuous ignition is automatically provided during the following:
Thrust levers
The thrust levers can only be moved manually. There are five detented
positions: reverse idle (REV IDLE), forward idle (FWD IDLE), climb (CL),
FLX/MCT and TOGA. The thrust lever position is transmitted to the
FADEC which then computes the thrust rating limit and required N1. If
the thrust lever is in detent the FADEC sets the limit according to the
position; if the levers are between detents, the FADEC sets the higher
limit.
Autothrust
The autothrust A/THR system, receiving inputs from the FMGC, controls
the thrust dependent on the speed, altitude and configuration. The
autothrust system does not move the thrust levers, instead if the
autothrust is armed, the levers are moved manually to obtain the required
thrust. If the autothrust is engaged, and the thrust lever is in a detent,
then the system will control the thrust or speed depending on the
autopilot/FD inputs.
Note:
The thrust levers are in the engagement range when:
• Both thrust levers are above IDLE but not above CL detent when both
engines are running
• The thrust lever of the operating engine is above IDLE, but not above
MCT detent, when only one engine is running
Warning
The autothrust system does not need to be armed or engaged for the
alpha floor function to engage, however if the autothrust disconnect
switch is pressed and held for more than 15 seconds, the system is
disconnected for the remainder of the flight; this would then preclude
alpha floor protection.
Notes:
• The correct method of autothrust engagement in flight is to manually
move the thrust levers until the white donuts line up with the actual
N1, and then press the instinctive disconnect pb on the thrust levers.
• After an alpha floor engagement, the thrust is locked in TOGA (TOGA
LK) Thrust control is regained by pressing the instinctive disconnect
push-buttons on the thrust levers or by selecting idle thrust.