US 12,291,354 B2
Aircraft actuator verification system and method
Clifton Lee Harrell, Arlington, TX (US)
Assigned to Textron Innovations Inc., Providence, RI (US)
Filed by Textron Innovations Inc., Providence, RI (US)
Filed on Jan. 25, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/159,461.
Prior Publication US 2024/0246698 A1, Jul. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. B64F 5/60 (2017.01); B64D 45/00 (2006.01)
CPC B64F 5/60 (2017.01) [B64D 45/00 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
increasing, by a flight control computer, an initiating force output by an initiating channel of an actuator of an aircraft;
stopping, by the flight control computer, the increasing of the initiating force in response to observing restraining forces on restraining channels of the actuator;
holding, by the flight control computer, the initiating force at a quiescent initiating value while the restraining channels hold the restraining forces at quiescent restraining values;
increasing the initiating force to a target initiating value while the restraining channels increase the restraining forces to target restraining values;
calculating a force fight test result by summing a difference between the target initiating value and the quiescent initiating value with differences between the target restraining values and the quiescent restraining values; and
indicating the actuator failed verification in response to the force fight test result being greater than a first predetermined threshold.