Abstract: Modern flight control systems should be largely automated because of their complexity. A process is disclosed to automatically correct an originally planned aircraft flight after flight-relevant parameters are changed. The process has the following steps: (a) the values of the flight-influencing parameters which determine the planned flight are supplied to a computer and stored therein; (b) when a change occurs, the changed values are also supplied to the computer and compared therein to the stored values; (c) depending on the results of the comparison and on predetermined checking and selection criteria, it is first checked whether the change requires a flight correction, and if that is the case new parameter values for a corrected flight are determined and stored in the computer instead of the previously stored parameter values; (d) the flight correction determined by the new parameter values is initiated; (e) these process steps are repeated whenever necessary every time the parameter values are changed.

Abstract: An electro-hydraulic actuator is disclosed, particularly for use with control surfaces in aircraft. The actuator includes a regulating piston and cylinders an rapidly-operable switching valves for the positioning of the piston in the cylinder that are operated by the supplying of discrete volumes of operating fluid thereto. Switching pulses are applied to the valves by a computer, and a sensor that is responsive to each activation of the switching valves applies an answering pulse to the computer wherein a valve breakdown can immediately be recognized. The sensor may be responsive to changes in pressure and/or flow between the valves and the cylinder located at the valve body.