Dear Captain Lim,
First of all, may I compliment you on the fantastic site that you are maintaining. It's fascinating to read the in-depth articles and gain one's knowledge about aviation. Thanks a lot!!
My question to you is,
How does the pilot rotate using the side-stick control? I understand from watching the programs on the National Geographic Channel, in conventional aircraft, the pilot pulls the nose up using the control column. Is this the same procedure used for side-stick controlled planes like the Airbus A380?
Also, what are the advantages and disadvantages of using the side-stick controls?
Thanks again!
Sachin
Hi Sachin,
To take off, the pilot firmly moves the side-stick control backward at the rotate speed (VR) at a rate of about 3 degrees per second. The Captain uses his left hand to rotate whereas the First Officer uses his right hand for the same action. This is slightly different from the control wheel concept as seen in Boeing airplanes. Here the pilot pulls the control column back during the take off.
Having moved over from the Boeing 777 with the conventional control column, I see mainly advantages in using the side-stick controls. The biggest advantage is that the main control wheel is being removed, giving the pilot a lot of space to do his paperwork or if he has to refer to a thick Manual. (Imagine getting rid of the control steering in your car and having a small side-stick on your left side!)
I have also touched on this when I wrote about the differences between the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737 in a FAQ on ‘How would you compare the Airbus A320 against the Boeing 737?'
There is also another question concerning similar topic. That was answered before I flew a side-stick airplane. See ‘Questions relating to Boeing 777 fly-by-wire concept'
The Airbus A320 Side-stick
Landing on an Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 Fly-By-Wire Concept
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